Miley Cyrus announces major comeback 20 years after Disney debut

Miley Cyrus will return to the stage as her Disney Channel alter ego, Hannah Montana, 20 years after the show premiered. The Grammy winner will star in the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special on Disney+, which will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and is set to feature an interview with Miley hosted by Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper.

The special will drop on March 24, exactly 20 years after the first episode of Hannah Montana aired in 2006. Sam Wrench, who directed the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour documentary, will spearhead Miley’s special.

“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection,” Miley said in a statement.

“The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

Hannah Montana launched Miley to superstardom when she was just 13, with the singer going on to release nine studio albums and win three Grammy Awards since the show ended in 2011 after four seasons.

“Hannah Montana opened the door for so many fans to dream big, sing loud, and embrace every side of themselves, which is why its legacy continues to shine across generations,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, in a statement.

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“Partnering with Miley on this special is a dream, and we want it to be a love letter to the fans, who remain as passionate today as they were when the series debuted almost 20 years ago.” The popular series was nominated four times for the Outstanding Children’s Program Emmy Award, and continues to be a jewel in the Disney Channel crown 20 years later.

See how far Miley has come below…

The show also starred Miley’s country singer father, Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as Emily Osment, Mitchell Musso, Jason Earles and Moisés Arias. While Miley grappled with her Hannah Montana legacy over the years, the 33-year-old shared on SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio that she had learned to appreciate that moment in her life.

“I want to design something really, really special for it because it really was the beginning of all of this. Without Hannah, there wouldn’t really be this me,” she explained.

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“It’s crazy to think that I started as a character that I thought was going to be impossible to shed, and now that’s something that when I walk into a space, it’s looked at as this sense of kind of, like, nostalgia or something that you have from your childhood…So, that’s exciting to get to celebrate that.”

© Getty Images for TikTok

Miley became the youngest-ever Disney Legend in 2024 at the D23 fan convention, an honor bestowed by the company upon individuals who have made a lasting and significant impact on the Disney legacy.

“This award is dedicated to Hannah and all of her amazing, loyal fans, and to everyone who has made my dream a reality,” she said in an emotional speech at the time.