The original High School Musical movie was made and first released as a Disney Channel Original Movie on January 20, 2006, in the United States.

Quick Scoop

  • Official release date (U.S.): January 20, 2006.
  • Production period: Filmed in 2005, then completed and aired at the start of 2006.
  • Where it aired: It premiered on Disney Channel as a made-for-TV movie, not in theaters.
  • Impact: It became the highest-rated Disney Channel Original Movie at the time, drawing millions of viewers and kicking off the whole franchise.

A bit more context

High School Musical was filmed in Utah (including the real East High School in Salt Lake City) and then released in early 2006, which is why you often see it associated with mid‑2000s Disney Channel nostalgia. Its success led to High School Musical 2 in 2007 and the theatrical High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008, turning what started as a TV movie into a full-blown franchise.

TL;DR: When someone asks, “when was High School Musical made,” the key answer is: it was released January 20, 2006, after being produced in 2005 as a Disney Channel Original Movie.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.