Malachi Barton, a 19-year-old Disney star with a large TikTok following, is set to lead Disney Channel's revival of the "Camp Rock" franchise, with "Camp Rock 3" premiering on 13 August 2026. The film marks a major step up for Barton, who began acting as a child and is now positioned as the face of a new generation of Disney talent, following in the footsteps of stars such as Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron, who all rose to fame through similar Disney vehicles.

Barton made his screen debut aged six in a 2012 Christmas episode of "The Young and the Restless" and later gained wider recognition playing Jenna Ortega's younger brother in the Disney Channel sitcom "Stuck in the Middle" from 2016. He is the son of singer-songwriter Felicia Barton, a 2009 "American Idol" contestant, and tour manager Loren Barton. He has amassed over 7 million followers on TikTok and 3 million on Instagram, reflecting his popularity with a younger, social-media-native audience, and the profile piece also touches on his openness about his Christian faith and his relationship with online culture, including doomscrolling on TikTok.