Vanessa Hudgens. (AP File)

Teen idol Vanessa Hudgens is set to send temperatures soaring again - as a foul-mouthed prostitute.

The High School Musical star hit the headlines when candid snapshots she posed for leaked onto the internet - and now she's stripping off again in new movie Sucker Punch.

She says, "I'm playing a character named Blondie and it's set in a brothel in the 1950s, so there's not a whole lot of clothes."

But the film is also Hudgens' first action role and she can't wait to start training: "It'll be gun training, stunts, fighting and all that craziness. I can't wait. I'm so excited. I've wanted to do an action film for a while.

"I think this is my time to really step it up and get to grow up. It will be somewhat different with the content and a few more foul words but that's the biggest difference."