Wear a wig and get all the accessories you can find. “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” will air on Disney+ on March 24th.
The hour-long streaming special features Miley Cyrus revisiting Miley Stewart’s Malibu home, reuniting with Disney Channel icons and performing some of her hit songs from the series, which aired from 2006 to 2011.
“I didn’t want to do this modern approach to Hannah. I wanted to keep it that way,” Cyrus said in Variety’s cover story. She said making the anniversary special “felt like coming home.”
Here’s everything we know about “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”
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At the taping of the special, Cyrus embodied Hannah Montana on stage similar to the show’s title sequence. She wore a sparkling black dress and had her hair styled with blonde bangs, just like Hannah. No, it’s not a wig!
In front of an audience of 215, Cyrus performed “This Is the Life,” “The Climb” and “The Best of Both Worlds.” The special will also feature new original songs.
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special guest
Cyrus broke the news to Variety that fellow Disney girl and “Hannah Montana” guest star Selena Gomez will appear on the special. “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper, who interviews Cyrus on air, arranged for Gomez to surprise Cyrus.
Billy Ray Cyrus, Cyrus’ father in real life and on TV, who played Robbie Ray Stewart on the series, reunites with Cyrus in a replica of the Stewart family living room. The two have a conversation and tell stories about their audition process. Cyrus’ mother, Tish Cyrus, will also appear in the special, revisiting Hannah Montana’s beloved futuristic bedroom closet and having a heart-to-heart with Cyrus.
Other Hannah Montana cast members, including Emily Osment and Jason Earles, have also posted about the show’s 20th anniversary, but have not yet announced whether they will make cameos in the special. It’s also unclear whether other famous “Hannah Montana” alumni, such as the Jonas Brothers or Dolly Parton, will appear.
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set
Disney recreated the Stewart family set for the 20th anniversary special, and Tisch pulled out dozens of costumes, fan letters, and scrapbooks he had stored in his archives. In the trailer for the special, Cyrus is seen entering the Stewart family’s kitchen and sitting in the living room for an interview.
While filming the special, Cyrus was spotted by paparazzi driving around Malibu in a convertible. She admitted to Variety that it was Cooper’s idea to begin the special with an emotional tone of Cyrus driving down the Pacific Coast Highway to a Hollywood soundstage. “I didn’t think about the correlation between Hannah’s house in Malibu and my house in Malibu,” Cyrus said. “What it has to do with my house burning down and me rebuilding.”
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nostalgia
Cyrus also teased to Variety that she’ll be sure to include a little nostalgic side of Hannah Montana in her special. She recreates Hannah’s hair flip, and there’s a nod to Disney Channel’s “Wand ID” commercial (“Hey, I’m Miley Cyrus from ‘Hannah Montana’ and you’re watching Disney Channel”). And of course, Cyrus pays homage to the series’ “Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo side counterpart to the series transition music.
