Demi Lovato has returned to Camp Rock.
The singer-actress makes a surprise appearance in Camp Rock 3, reprising her role as Mitchie Torres in the franchise that made her a star.
Lovato also served as an executive producer on the film, which premieres Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel and streams the next day on Disney+.
Camp Rock 3 also finds the Jonas Brothers returning as the band Connect 3, who are now looking for a new opening act. Of course, they head back to Camp Rock to discover the next big thing. Liamani Segura (Descendants: Wicked Wonderland) and Malachi Barton (Zombies4: Dawn of the Vampires) star in the new movie, along with Lumi Pollack, Sherry Cola, Hudson Stone, Casey Trotter, Brooklynn Pitts and Ava Jean. And Maria Canals-Barrera reprises her role as Mitchie’s mom, Connie.
Veronica Rodriguez, who directed the movie, told The Hollywood Reporter that there were thoughtful discussions with Lovato about how to bring Mitchie back while not taking away from the newer generation of stars.
“We wanted to find the right balance of how much she should be in the film and what Mitchie’s involvement looked like,” Rodriguez says. “Her character literally says in the movie, to her mom, ‘This isn’t about me, it’s about them. It’s their time to shine. This is the new generation of campers.’ With Mitchie and Connect 3, we wanted them to be ingrained and necessary for the story but also leave enough room and space for the world to fall in love with the new generation of campers.”
Lovato starred alongside Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Nick Jonas in the first two films, released in 2008 and 2010. Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam were the No. 1 cable movie premiere in their years of premiere and still rank among the Top 10 Disney Channel Original Movies of all time.
Rodriguez directed Camp Rock 3 from a script by Eydie Faye. The movie is produced by Disney Kids & Family and features choreography by Jamal Sims. Tim Federle executive produces, along with the Jonas brothers, Lovato, Betsy Sullenger, Spencer Berman and Gary Marsh, with a “special thanks” to Alan Sacks for his contribution to the Camp Rock franchise.
Demi Lovato with the Jonas Brothers in Disney’s 2008 musical film Camp Rock.
Bob D’amico/©Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection