Olivia Rodrigo in ‘Excessive Faculty Musical: The Musical’ Disney/Anne Marie Fox
Olivia Rodrigo formally exited her position as Nini on Excessive Faculty Musical: The Musical: The Sequence in season 3 — and there weren’t any plans to convey her again for the ultimate episodes.
“I felt actually assured about that ending and Olivia is so busy together with her songwriting profession. At this level, we’re introducing so many new individuals, the OG characters and we wished to convey again different actually necessary characters,” creator Tim Federle instructed Selection on Wednesday August 9.
Federle, 43, hinted that there weren’t any plans to wrap up Nini’s story past what was achieved in season 3, including, “I type of felt like, with solely eight episodes, it simply turns into cameos versus actual tales. The supply was prolonged to her insomuch as Olivia figuring out from me that she will be able to all the time come again. Nevertheless it was by no means actually critically mentioned as a result of there have been new relationships we needed to write for.”
Rodrigo, 20, introduced Nini to life when the sequence debuted on Disney+ in 2019. After the primary season premiered, Rodrigo’s star rose much more when her single “Driver’s License” went viral in January 2021. 4 months later, her debut album, Bitter, dropped to widespread acclaim.
Amid hypothesis that her music was impressed by a rumored romance with HSMTMTS costar Joshua Bassett, Rodrigo transitioned from being a sequence common to a recurring forged member for season 3. On display, Ricky (Bassett) and Nini’s romance got here to an finish and he or she determined to maneuver to Los Angeles to pursue a music profession. The season 3 finale, which aired in 2022, confirmed Nini saying goodbye to her classmates earlier than driving off to her new life.
In the course of the fourth and ultimate season, which dropped on Wednesday, Ricky talked about Nini when giving out playing cards to everybody on the opening evening of their manufacturing of Excessive Faculty Musical 3. Following his previous cut up from Nina, season 4 centered on Ricky’s evolving relationship with longtime crush and now-girlfriend Gina (Sofia Wylie).
Federle beforehand opened up about his plan for Ricky to seek out his fortunately ever after with Gina.
“Oftentimes, I believe the primary time you’re in love, you suppose that’s the usual and it ought to final endlessly. My evolving thought is that Ricky and Gina are actually in love for the primary time collectively as a result of they’ve skilled among the world,” he solely instructed Us Weekly. “They’ve gotten just a little pushed down. A lot occurs and it’s stunning to have the ability to write this relationship — no holds barred.”
Federle continued: “I keep in mind we had this factor within the writers room the place we all the time tried to reply the query, ‘However why Ricky for Gina?’ As a result of E.J. is that this superb man — who I believe the viewers will see is beginning to land in a very good place in his life. And what we stated is, ‘Ricky all the time makes Gina chuckle.’ He may be actually aggressive, self-possessed, bold, she will be able to beat herself up if issues don’t go effectively and he or she’s an actual people-pleaser. Ricky simply can lower by all of that and make Gina chuckle. And I believe that’s one of many qualities of their relationship that she hasn’t had with one other man.”
The fourth and ultimate season of Excessive Faculty Musical: The Musical: The Sequence is streaming on Disney+.
