How ‘HSMTMTS’ Couple Ricky and Gina Became This Generation’s Troy and Gabriella

usmagazine.com:

High School Musical‘s Troy and Gabriella set the bar high for fictional couples — and HSMTMTS‘ Ricky and Gina have officially taken over for the next generation of fans.When the original film franchise aired from 2006 to 2008, Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella’s (Vanessa Hudgens) connection was undeniable.

The couple weathered numerous ups and downs before getting their happily ever after in the third movie.Ricky (Joshua Bassett) and Gina (Sofia Wylie), meanwhile, are ready to carry on the torch after several seasons of buildup on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

The mockumentary, which debuted on Disney+ in 2019, threw many obstacles Ricky and Gina’s way before the timing was finally right.According to creator Tim Federle, there was always a plan to have Ricky and Gina take over the fictional legacy that Troy and Gabriella left behind.“We always knew Ricky and Gina would play Troy and Gabriella,” Federle exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2023 about the pair’s respective roles in the season 4 play, which is High School Musical 3. “Josh and Sofia’s voices are so beautiful together that in the first episode of season [4], I really wanted to see them do a duet that summarized [their] lives leading up to this moment.”Scroll down for each way Ricky and Gina have taken inspiration from Troy and Gabriella’s journey: Gabriella joined East High School for her junior year in the first movie, which came days after she had her meet-cute with Troy.Gina was also new to the school when she was introduced as a sophomore in season 1 of HSMTMTS.

According to a flashback scene in season 4, Ricky was the first person Gina formed a connection with before she auditioned for the play.During the third High School Musical movie,