Dolly Parton Helped Miley Cyrus Manifest ‘Hannah Montana’ Special

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.”

It was essential, then, that the fans who allowed the special to go from an idea in Cyrus’ mind to an actual production were kept top of mind when planning what it would entail. She ran ideas past Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper, who interviewed her for the special. “She understands Hannah in a way that I couldn’t,” Cyrus said. “I never got to experience Hannah being crazy in the pit with other kids.” Cooper urged her to scrap a few, telling her, “As a Hannah fan, no one wants that.”

Cyrus took reviving Hannah very seriously, even if other people might poke fun at it. “We did not want irony. This is not a joke,” she said. “I didn’t want this to be a viral moment. My point of doing this was not to break the internet.” It was for the fans. “My entire life is because of that loyalty.”