Miley Cyrus started teasing a “Hannah Montana” 20th-anniversary special last year – but without the advice from one special person in her life, it might not have been possible.
The singer and actor reveals it was words of wisdom from her godmother, country music legend Dolly Parton, that helped get the project off the ground.
How Dolly’s Words Of Wisdom Manifested “Hannah Montana” Special
In a recent interview with Variety, Cyrus revealed the invaluable advice given to her by Parton.
“I learned this terrible habit – but I actually think it was good advice – from Dolly,” she explained.
Getty“She told me that if you want something to happen, promote it before it exists. Then no one can say no.”
“So I just started promoting a ‘Hannah Montana’ 20th-anniversary special that literally did not exist,” she explains.
As it turns out, the manifesting worked.
“She willed it into existence,” claimed Disney exec Charlie Andrews.
Last summer, Cyrus teased there was “something special” up her sleeve for the show’s 20th anniversary. She then sent fan reactions of the news to Disney, telling the company, “This is going to be huge.”
“I think even Disney sometimes forgets the connection between me and Hannah,” she said. “It’s not just a TV show. I see daily how important Hannah is to people.”
Parton appeared on “Hannah Montana” as ‘Aunt Dolly’ in the 2006 episode ‘Good Golly Miss Dolly,” as noted on IMDB.
The Return of “Hannah Montana” in 20th-Anniversary Special
The much-hyped 20th-anniversary special will feature Cyrus being interviewed by Alex Cooper. Cooper is well-known for her podcast “Call Her Daddy.”
“She understands Hannah in a way that I couldn’t,” Cyrus told Variety.
As a self-professed super-fan, Cooper wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion. “She would go, ‘As a Hannah fan, no one wants that,'” Cyrus said.
Cyrus says the special was done with the fans well and truly in mind, wanting them to “feel seen.”
“My entire life is because of that loyalty,” she said.
“We did not want irony. This is not a joke,” she told Variety. “I didn’t want this to be a viral moment. My point of doing this was not to break the internet.”
However, the return of “Hannah Montana” holds a sentimental note for her as well, as she states the special is “my reclaiming of merging Hannah and Miley together.”
The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” will air on Disney+ on March 24, 2026.
