SALT LAKE CITY (CAP) - On the heels of the controversy over Miley Cyrus' provocative magazine photos, some fans are questioning Disney's decision to name the Hannah Montana star's Vanity Fair photographer, Annie Leibovitz, as the director of High School Musical 3, which began filming in Utah this week.
Leibovitz was named as a last-minute replacement for Kenny Ortega, who directed the first two installments. Ortega was incapacitated last week when he almost strangled himself with the strings from his hoodie during a rehearsal of a song from the new movie, "You Are The Start Of Something New In Me (Together)."
"We realize it's a risky choice, but I really think Annie's work with Miley was nothing short of visionary," said Disney CEO Bob Iger this week. "The way she had her, you know, take her shirt off."
But the move has already drawn fire from conservative bloggers and pundits, particularly given the early footage that has been leaked on the Internet. Some of the clips are reminiscent of Leibovitz's still photography work, including a scene with Vanessa Hudgens apparently naked and completely covered in mud, and an entire sequence shot from the point of view of Zac Efron's jeans-clad rear end in front of a giant American flag.
Iger pointed out that those scenes may not make the final film, and besides, with High School Musical 3 headed for the big screen rather than Disney Channel, Disney felt a need to make it "edgier," he said. This would explain rumored plot turns such as Troy and Gabriella's steamy tryst in Troy's secret garden hideaway at East High, Sharpay's embarrassment after a nose job gone horribly wrong and Corbin Bleu's character, Chad, coming out as gay. "Like that wasn't completely obvious," said Iger.
"It's more sophisticated, but let's face it, the audience has gotten older," Iger added. "Some of them are 8 now."
He also pointed out that they rejected an early script idea that would have appealed more to a teen audience, in which the characters would have been killed off one by one using a series of grisly torture devices. "And believe me, the scene where Corbin Bleu would be forced to cut off his own hair with a hacksaw tested through the roof," Iger noted.
Among those to weigh in on the controversy has been James Dobson, CEO of the conservative watchdog group Focus on the Family, who called the decision "horrible."
"The High School Musical movies have been a mainstay of wholesome family entertainment," said Dobson. "This decision doesn't bode well, judging by the scene of Zac Efron's rear end in those tight jeans, in close up, every contour of his young tush discernible ... Every round little nook and cranny ..." Dobson then abruptly cut off the conversation, citing a need to meet with his "chairman of the board."
For her part, Leibovitz says the controversy is unwarranted, and that she will remain true to the High School Musical brand rather than mirror her more adult-oriented photo work. "Believe me, none of these kids is going to end up curled up naked next to Yoko Ono," she joked. And Vanessa Hudgens concurred, although she admitted when pressed that she thought Yoko Ono was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
In the end, said Iger, High School Musical 3 will be a fine addition to the HSM canon, noting that it will still be a family film with a PG-13 rating at worst. "The R-rated cut will remain in the Disney vault," he said, noting however that he does plan to trot it out to show other CEOs at parties.
- CAP News Staff