Larisha Paul
Contact Larisha Paul on X View all posts by Larisha Paul March 18, 2026
Miley Cyrus on the red carpet at the 2026 Golden Globes Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images Realistically, Disney had more than a decade to plan an elaborate anniversary special for Hannah Montana, which turns 20 this year. But after Miley Cyrus marked the show’s 10th anniversary with an Instagram post announcing that Hannah had been chopped up and buried in her backyard, the network might have assumed she would want nothing to do with bringing her back. But according to a new interview with the star, it was actually Cyrus who spearheaded the upcoming Hannahversary special, airing on Disney+ on March 24. She just had to tell a few sequined lies to make it happen.
“I just started promoting a Hannah Montana 20th-anniversary special that literally did not exist,” Cyrus told Variety in a new interview. The singer was deploying a tactic she learned from her godmother, Dolly Parton. “I learned this terrible habit — but I actually think it was good advice — from Dolly,” Cyrus said. “She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no.”
In July 2025, Cyrus began teasing plans for the milestone anniversary. She told SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio that she wanted to “design something really, really special for it,” which sent fans into a frenzy. Was she planning a concert? A comeback tour? Would the cast reunite for another episode? The answer at the time was actually nothing. But the response and speculation was apparently enough to sway Disney.
Cyrus took the fan reactions back to the network. “I’m telling you,” she said, “this would be huge.” It wasn’t immediate. Variety reports that planning for the special didn’t begin until December, with the real heavy lifting beginning in January. “I think even Disney sometimes forgets the connection between me and Hannah,” Cyrus said. “It’s not just a TV show. I see daily how important Hannah is to people.”
