Miley Cyrus Looks Ahead to ‘Hannah-versary,’ Says She Wants Fans to ‘Really Feel Seen’
As Miley Cyrus steps into another high-profile chapter of her career with Avatar: Fire and Ash, the singer is also beginning to reflect on a milestone that defined her earliest years in the spotlight: the upcoming 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana. In a new interview with Variety, Cyrus spoke candidly about both projects, linking her recent work with filmmaker James Cameron to the way she hopes to honor the Disney series that launched her career.
Cyrus’ latest song, “Dream as One,” plays over the end credits of Avatar: Fire and Ash and has earned her a Golden Globe nomination. The track came together through what she described as a series of organic, almost serendipitous encounters. While backstage at the D23 Expo last summer, Cyrus found herself standing behind Cameron in line, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and Harrison Ford. Curtis soon after invited Cyrus to contribute to The Last Showgirl, resulting in “Beautiful That Way,” another awards-season contender. Cyrus then took the opportunity to ask Cameron directly about the Avatar films, a move that proved timely, as Cameron and composer Simon Franglen had already discussed the possibility of collaborating with her.
Cameron suggested the title “Dream as One,” inspired by the film’s closing moments, and Cyrus developed the song alongside longtime collaborators Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Cyrus said joining the project late in the process was an advantage. After working on the Avatar universe for more than two decades, she noted, Cameron welcomed the perspective of someone approaching the story simply as a fan. “I’m just writing it like someone who loves ,” she explained, adding that an outside viewpoint can sometimes offer clarity that proximity obscures.
That idea of perspective also informs how Cyrus is thinking about the 20th anniversary of Hannah Montana, which debuted in 2006. Rather than treating the occasion as a straightforward nostalgia play, Cyrus said she wants the celebration, which fans have already dubbed the “Hannah-versary”, to feel intentional and emotionally grounded. Drawing inspiration from a recurring theme in Avatar, she emphasized the importance of recognition. “‘I see you’ is something they say a lot in ,” she said. “That’s something really important that I want the fans to feel during the Hannah-versary.”
For Cyrus, the anniversary is not just about looking back at her own transformation from child star to multifaceted artist. It’s also about acknowledging the audience that grew up alongside her. While her personal evolution has often been publicly dissected and celebrated, she noted that fans’ lives have changed just as dramatically over the same two decades. “I see their growth as much as they see mine,” she said, framing the anniversary as a shared marker of time rather than a solo victory lap.
Details about how the Hannah-versary will be marked remain undecided. Cyrus declined to confirm whether it will involve live events, special appearances, or a concert tour, saying only that plans are still taking shape. What she did stress is that she is in no rush. “Everything takes time,” she said. “I want to make something that’s meaningful, thoughtful, and really satisfying for the fans.”
