Disney to remake High School Musical for China

High School Musical, the monstrously successful movie franchise that celebrates the vitality of American youth and the power of song, is hitting China.

Disney has announced it will be producing a remake of the hit franchise, and basing it, in contrast to the American original, at university. "In China, students in high school are so focused on academics that it wasn't realistic to portray them singing and dancing in the way that American high school students have time for," Jason Reed, general manager of Walt Disney Studios International Production, told China Daily.

Set in Shanghai, the story will tell of an unlikely romance between a poet and a science nerd. Disney had considered focusing on a basketball star, as the sport is unremittingly popular among Chinese teenagers. However, as Reed explained, "Our partners think that in China you might be more attracted to the smart and thoughtful guy. He [the male lead] is a thoughtful, intelligent and studious young man who is really defined by his skill and academics."

The film, scheduled for release next summer, has already been cast with six unknowns, and will be directed by New York-based Chen Shizheng, who has previously worked with Meryl Streep on Dark Matter, the tale of a gifted Chinese astrophysicist who comes to the US. Shizheng, though, is better known for his stage productions. It was he who got Blur's Damon Albarn on board for the vastly ambitious Monkey.

Only weeks ago, Disney had announced their plans to splash £2 billion on "a Magic Kingdom theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region". This news has not been received with unanimous approval, and the Times of London reports that many Chinese people have been unwilling to allow Hollywood's commercial messages into the country.

One columnist with the Worker's Paper wrote: "Rich and poor kids alike enjoy Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, but only the rich kids can afford a ticket so it will be a paradise for them and heartbreaking for the poor."