20 Years Later, Miley Cyrus Finally Sat Down and Talked About All of It
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu as of March 24, 2026, exactly 20 years to the day the original series debuted on Disney Channel. The 58-minute documentary special brings Miley Cyrus back to the world that made her a household name, sitting down for an in-depth interview with Alex Cooper of the Call Her Daddy podcast while original cast members, celebrity guests, and archival footage fill out the celebration.
What Is the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special?
The special was filmed with recreations of the original Stewart family living room and Hannah Montana’s legendary closet serving as the interview backdrop. Miley walks through some of her most memorable moments from the series, covering the music, the fashion, the global fandom, and what it actually felt like to live that double life on and off camera. Alex Cooper hosts the conversation, guiding it through the nostalgia with her signature candid interview style.
Beyond the one-on-one interview, viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at pieces from Miley’s personal archival collection, footage that has not been widely seen before. Familiar faces from the original cast appear throughout, and Miley delivers at least one special musical performance. When Miley spoke about the show ahead of the premiere, she made clear how much the character still means to her, calling Hannah Montana the foundation for everything she has been able to become.
Who Shows Up in the Special?
The special brings back several original series stars. Jason Earles, who played Jackson Stewart, appears alongside Moises Arias, Cody Linley, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, and Shanica Knowles. Family is well represented, too, with Billy Ray Cyrus, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, and Noah Cyrus all appearing on screen. Celebrity guests include Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, country artist Lainey Wilson, and Dara Renee.
The special was produced by HopeTown Entertainment and Unwell Productions, with Sam Wrench directing. Miley Cyrus, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, Alex Cooper, and Matt Kaplan all served as executive producers, with Ashley Edens as showrunner.
How Hannah Montana Started 20 Years Ago Today
The original series premiered on March 24, 2006, with an episode called “Lilly, Do You Want to Know a Secret?” The show ran for four seasons and 101 episodes before wrapping with a two-part finale in January 2011. At its peak, it was one of the most-watched programs on Disney Channel and helped launch Miley Cyrus into a music career that has continued well beyond the show’s run. The Hannah Montana: The Movie film followed in 2009 and premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, the same venue used for last night’s anniversary special premiere. FLN first reported on the special back in February when Disney+ confirmed the project was in the works.
All four seasons of Hannah Montana are available to stream on Disney+ alongside the movie and the Best of Both Worlds concert film, making it easy to go deep on the whole catalog.
A 58-minute special built around a single interview sounds thin on paper, but Alex Cooper is genuinely one of the better interviewers working right now, and Miley has been more open about her Hannah Montana years in recent interviews than she was for a long stretch in the 2010s. The archival footage angle is what actually matters here. Most Hannah Montana fans have seen every episode, but have never gotten a real look at what was happening behind the scenes during those years. If the special delivers on that, it is worth watching for anyone who grew up with the show.
How to Watch
The Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is streaming now on both Disney+ and Hulu. Disney+ plans start at $9.99 per month, and Hulu subscribers have access as part of their existing plan. The special is rated TV-PG and runs 58 minutes.
For more Disney+ coverage, visit Fantasy Land News and join the Realm at fantasylandnews.com/the-realm.
More Disney+ coverage at Fantasy Land News.
Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Is Now Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu
