Hannah Montana The Movie stars Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Mitchel Musso, Moises Arias and Billy Ray Cyrus

Walt Disney Pictures takes the Disney Channel phenom to the big screen in the feature film extravaganza HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE. Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) struggles to juggle school, friends and her secret pop-star persona; when Hannah Montana’s soaring popularity threatens to take over her life—she just might let it. So her father (Billy Ray Cyrus) takes the teen home to Crowley Corners, Tennessee, for a dose of reality, kicking off an adventure filled with the kind of fun, laughter and romance even Hannah Montana couldn’t imagine.

Filmed entirely on location in and around Nashville, Tennessee, and Los Angeles, California, “Hannah Montana The Movie” stars Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Mitchel Musso, Moises Arias and Billy Ray Cyrus. Also starring are Melora Hardin, Margo Martindale, Barry Bostwick, Peter Gunn, Lucas Till and Vanessa Williams. Guest stars include Tyra Banks, Taylor Swift and country music trio Rascal Flatts.

Walt Disney Pictures presents “Hannah Montana The Movie,” directed by Peter Chelsom (“Serendipity,” “Shall We Dance?”) and written by Dan Berendsen (“Twitches,” “The Initiation of Sarah”) based on characters created by Michael Poryes and Rich Correll & Barry O’Brien. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, whose film screenwriting credits include “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” “Spider-Man 2” and “Shanghai Noon,” are producing the film, marking the duo’s first feature under their Walt Disney-based production company, Millar/Gough Ink. The film is executive produced by David Blocker (“Into the Wild,” “Don King: Only in America”) and the team of Michael Poryes and Steve Peterman (“Hannah Montana”).

Director of photography is David Hennings (“Blue Crush”), and the production designer is Caroline Hanania (“Serendipity,” “Shall We Dance?”). The editor is David Moritz (“P.S. I Love You,” “Town & Country”), and the costume designer is Christopher Lawrence (“Cellular,” “The Alibi”). The music is by John Debney (“Meet Dave,” “The Passion of the Christ”), and the choreographer is Jamal Sims (“Hairspray,” “Step Up,” “Step Up 2: The Streets”).

Miley Cyrus’ top-rated Emmy®-nominated television series, “Hannah Montana,” sold-out 70-city concert tour and third consecutive top-selling album (“Breakout”) in less than two years have propelled the young actress-singer-songwriter to international stardom. Following the series’ sensational debut in March 2006 (5.4 million viewed its premiere), Cyrus became an immediate hit with audiences, and her own exploding popularity has mirrored those of her increasingly famous television alter egos, Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart.

“Miley is one of those rare, incredible talents. She can sing, she can dance, she can act—and she’s funny,” says the film’s producer Al Gough. “To be natural on film is the hardest thing in the world, and she does it without any effort, her instincts are so good. To watch her grow as an actor over the course of making this film has been amazing.”

Bringing “Hannah Montana” to the big screen was a natural step in the evolution of Cyrus’ multiple talents and the audience’s rabid desire to know more about their beloved heroines, Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana.

In the movie, Miley sings, dances and performs 13 songs and musical numbers, many as Hannah Montana, some as Miley Stewart. It’s when her Hannah Montana persona begins to take over the responsibilities and commitments of Miley Stewart’s life that her father, Robby Ray, decides to intervene and try to set things right.

“As the film starts in Los Angeles, the pressure is building on Miley with the demands of being Hannah Montana,” says Billy Ray Cyrus, who portrays Miley/Hannah’s father, Robby Ray Stewart, and is Miley’s real-life father. “She’s kind of lost herself, the little girl from Tennessee. Robby Ray decides the best medicine would be to go home. In real life, my dad always says it is important to be aware of your surroundings and where you’re at. Always be looking forward and know where you want to go but, most importantly, never forget where you come from. That’s what this story is about.”

Miley says: “The story shows how you need to be able to take the time to realize who you are and where you’ve come from. I know I have to do that in my life sometimes. It feels great to come home to Nashville and be comfortable with who I am. Where you’re from reflects a lot of who you are and who you’ll become as you get older. Like what happens in the movie, you have to take it back down to the real world.”

When Miley returns home for her Grandma Ruby’s (Margo Martindale) birthday party, she’s not just returning to Tennessee after a long absence, she’s also rediscovering how much her family, friends and home mean to her after her emerging success as a pop star. In “Hannah Montana The Movie” the audience gets to travel back home with Miley Stewart and see where it all began and how she became Hannah Montana.
“On the TV show, you never got to see the origins,” screenwriter Dan Berendsen says. “This movie takes you full circle to how she became Hannah Montana without being a flashback.”

As Miley Stewart finds in the course of the movie, you can go home again.