Put on your wig and grab all the accessories you can find: The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” is airing on Disney+ on March 24.
In the one-hour streaming special, Miley Cyrus revisits Miley Stewart’s Malibu home, reunites with some Disney Channel icons and dusts off a few 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 preserved,” Cyrus said in her Variety cover story. She said making the anniversary special “felt like home again.”
Here’s everything we know about the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”
The music
At a taping of the special, Cyrus embodied Hannah Montana on a stage that resembled the show’s title sequence. She wore a sparkling black dress and styled her hair in blond bangs like Hannah’s — no, that’s not a wig!
In front of an audience of 215 people, Cyrus performed “This Is the Life,” “The Climb” and “The Best of Both Worlds.” She also has a new, original song that will appear in the special.
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The special guests
Cyrus broke the news with Variety that fellow Disney kid and “Hannah Montana” guest star Selena Gomez will appear in the special. “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper, who interviews Cyrus in the telecast, arranged for Gomez to surprise Cyrus.
Billy Ray Cyrus, Cyrus’ real-life and TV dad who played Robby Ray Stewart on the series, reunites with Cyrus in a replica of the Stewart family living room. The two have a conversation in which they recount stories from the audition process. Cyrus’ mom, Tish Cyrus, also appears in the special for a heart-to-heart with Cyrus as they revisit Hannah Montana’s beloved, futuristic bedroom closet.
Other “Hannah Montana” cast members, like Emily Osment and Jason Earles, have posted about the show’s 20th anniversary, but whether they will make cameos on the special has yet to be announced. And it’s unclear whether other famous “Hannah Montana” alumni — like the Jonas Brothers or Dolly Parton — will appear.
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The sets
Disney recreated the sets of the Stewart house for the 20th anniversary special, and Tish pulled out dozens of outfits, fan letters and scrapbooks that she had saved in her archives. In a trailer for the special, Cyrus is seen walking into the Stewarts’ kitchen and sitting down for an interview in the living room.
While filming the special, Cyrus was spotted by paparazzi driving in a convertible in Malibu. She confirmed to Variety that it was Cooper’s idea to begin the special on an emotional note, with Cyrus driving on Pacific Coast Highway to the Hollywood soundstage. “I didn’t think about the correlation between Hannah’s house in Malibu and my house in Malibu,” Cyrus said, “and my house burning down and me rebuilding.”
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The nostalgia
Cyrus also teased to Variety some of the small, nostalgic aspects of “Hannah Montana” they made sure to incorporate into the special. She recreates the Hannah hair flip, and there is a nod to the Disney Channel “wand ID” commercials (“Hey, I’m Miley Cyrus from ‘Hannah Montana,’ and you’re watching Disney Channel”). And, of course, Cyrus pays homage to the series’ “Ooh-whoa-ooh-whoa-ooh-ooh-whoa” transition music.
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