‘Teen Beach Musical’ Original Movie Begins Production for Disney Channel

School’s out, surf’s up and Disney Channel is taking a dip into the teen beach party movie genre with “Teen Beach Musical,” a modern “no more complications, just good vibrations,” break into song and dance comedy in which surfer girl McKenzie and her boyfriend Brady literally go into a classic surf movie musical where it’s bikers versus surfers — and they’re in for trouble if they don’t back down. While they hatch a plan to get back home to present day, the duo try to blend in as everyone around them spontaneously breaks into song and dance. But when they interfere with the plot of the movie, their fate may be changed forever.

Production has begun in Puerto Rico for a premiere in 2013 as part of the blockbuster Disney Channel Original Movie franchise. 2011 was the fifth consecutive year a Disney Channel Original Movie was the year’s #1 cable TV movie in Total Viewers (the average delivery for the five movies is 12.5 million viewers) and the 10th consecutive year Disney Channel has delivered the #1 original movie telecast among Tweens 9-14.

Starring are Ross Lynch (“Austin & Ally”) as Brady, Maia Mitchell (Australia’s “Trapped,” “Castaway”) as McKenzie, Garrett Clayton (“Shake it Up”) as Tanner, Grace Phipps (ABC Family’s “The Nine Lives of Chloe King”) as Lela, John DeLuca (“Wizards of Waverly Place,” “Ugly Betty”) as Butchy, Chrissie Fit (“General Hospital”) as Chee Chee, Tony Award-nominated Kevin Chamberlin (“Jessie,” Broadway’s “The Addams Family”) as Dr. Fusion and Steve Valentine (“Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie,” Disney XD’s “I’m In The Band”) as Les Camembert.

The “Teen Beach Musical” soundtrack, influenced by surf rock, Motown R&B, rockabilly and comedic pop, features 10 original songs by acclaimed songwriters and producers Antonina Armato & Tim James, Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, Chen Neeman, David Lawrence & Faye Greenberg, Ali Dee, Mitch Allan and Jason Evigan.

The movie begins on the last day of summer, and McKenzie’s surf and sand life is about to be upturned when she departs for boarding school to fulfill her family’s dream to graduate from the elite institution. But when she and Brady find themselves literally transported into his favorite classic beach musical, set in the 1960s, about a rivalry between the surfers and bikers and a star-crossed teenage boy who likes a girl, he is ecstatic for endless summer while she is eager to get back home to keep her promise to her family about her schooling. While they hatch a plan to get back to present day, the duo try to blend in and understand 1960s teenagers, but it’s not so easy when everyone around them spontaneously breaks into song and dance. And when they accidentally interfere with the plot of the movie and the lead characters, surf guy Tanner and biker girl Lela, fall for them, instead of each other, Brady and McKenzie fear their fate may be changed forever.

The writers of “Teen Beach Musical” are Vince Marcello & Mark Landry (“Zombie Prom”) and Robert Horn (“Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure,” The Suite Life Movie”). The movie is directed by DGA-nominated Jeffrey Hornaday (“Geek Charming,” choreographer of “A Chorus Line,” “Flashdance”) and choreographed by Chris Scott (“Lemonade Mouth,” “Step Up 4,” “So You Think You Can Dance”). David Buelow (“Bring It On: Fight to the Finish”) serves as executive producer with Robert F. Phillips (“Teen Spirit,” “Valkyrie”) as producer. “Teen Beach Musical” is a production of Rainforest Productions, LLC.