Olivia Rodrigo is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, with a number-one album, two number-one singles, and three Grammys. She’s also still on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, the Disney+ series based on High School Musical: the film series. It’s a real “Melissa McCarthy continuing to star in Mike and Molly after being nominated for an Oscar” situation, but Rodrigo is graduating from High School soon.
“I think she’s ready to explore the world outside the halls of East High,” creator Tim Federle told Entertainment Weekly about Rodrigo’s character, Nini. “And Olivia herself was having such a monumental explosion in the music industry that it felt like the right thing to, frankly, work with Olivia to say, ‘How do we get you out there into the world with us taking a little bit more of a backseat?’ Which we were all proud to do to support her.”
Rodrigo will get a “proper sendoff” in High School Musical, Etc. season three, which premieres on July 27. “It’s a joy to see Olivia’s music explode in such a big way. It was so fun to have her back and reminisce on the beginning,” Federle added.
For Rodrigo, it’s a blessing that she’ll no longer have to say the show’s title anymore.
(Via EW)