The 'World of Dance' judge is about to shake things up at East High.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is getting new blood.
Derek Hough will join the upcoming second season of the original Disney+ series, ET confirms. The World of Dance judge and Dancing With the Stars champ has been cast in a recurring role.
Hough will play Zack, Miss Jenn's (Kate Reinders) ex-boyfriend, who is described as a charming but sneaky actor who returns to Salt Lake City to teach drama at East High's biggest rival, North High. Deadline first reported the news.
Hough joins an ensemble cast that includes Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie, Larry Saperstein, Julia Lester, Dara Reneé, Frankie Rodriguez, Joe Serafini, Mark St. Cyr and Reinders.
Expected to debut in late 2020, the 12-episode sophomore season will feature the East High drama department's production of a beloved Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. Iconic musical numbers from the High School Musical movie franchise, as well as the stage production of Beauty and the Beast and original songs, will be spotlighted throughout the season.
Following the freshman finale, creator and showrunner Tim Federle spoke with ET about expanding the world of HSMTMTS and whether that included the introduction of new key characters.
"I'm looking big picture at how we expand the show, so that definitely includes the idea of new characters. Exactly where they'll land or who they'll be is still in clay phase," he said in January. "But yeah, generally speaking in second seasons of shows, there are new faces and people to meet, so hopefully we'll get some of that in our show too.
As for Miss Jenn's messy love life, Federle hinted that her romantic situation provides prime real estate for juicy storytelling in season two -- and with Hough now in the mix -- it's sure to be eventful.
"Exploring Miss Jenn's romantic situation is a great headline for one of the things I'm approaching with this character in season two. I won't say anything more beyond that," he said, adding, "I think you're picking up on interesting things and there's a lot more stories with Miss Jenn to tell."
The entire first season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is streaming now on Disney+.
To stay up to date on breaking TV news, sign up for ET's daily newsletter.
RELATED CONTENT:
