Chelsom says the film’s numerous songs are tightly woven into the fabric of the story and the characters, which is why he believes the film will feel like a musical without being one.  “We continuously dance very close to the convention of a musical but are more integrated.  Songs are going to sit within the film, not apart from the film.  At times, you won’t notice the music is happening; it’ll just move the story along.”

An example is the song “The Climb.”  After troubles with her bestfriend Lilly, her brother, her father, her grandmother and love interest Travis, Miley begins to realize how much her secret impacts the relationships with the people whom she loves.  Confused and contrite, she ends up expressing her emotions by writing a song, “The Climb.”

“The song is her journey, the lessons she’s learned in the movie,” says Gough.  “It’s an epic song, written by a Nashville songwriter named Jesse Alexander with her partner, John Mabe.  It’s a power ballad that encapsulates Miley’s journey and the message of the film.”

In total, Miley/Hannah performs 12 new songs in the film, including “Let’s Get Crazy,” “Butterfly Fly Away” and “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home.”

The innovative mix of music in the film includes pop, rock, country, hip hop and even a familiar Hawaiian-themed melody.  “We realized this was an opportunity to move forward with the music, to update it and make it more sophisticated, to move with Miley’s age,” says Chelsom.  “I’ve never had a better musical experience on any film.”

Hit singer-songwriter Taylor Swift became involved when the filmmakers approached her about using her music in the film.  Swift not only said the filmmakers could use her music, but she’d be happy to perform a song in the movie.

“When I got an email from Disney saying they wanted a song that was perfect to fall in love to and sort of a country waltz, I sent them ‘Crazier’ and they loved it,” Swift says.

Swift also co-wrote the film’s closing musical number, “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home.”

Opening across the Philippines on July 8, “Hannah Montana The Movie” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Since its 2006 debut, the Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana” has become a pop culture phenomenon, garnering Emmy® nominations, No. 1 ratings and an ever-expanding, loyal fan base.  The idea of a young pop star who wants to live an ordinary life unaffected by her stardom found wide appeal with family audiences.

The series has also made teenaged singer Miley Cyrus a bona fide superstar 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 Al Gough, producer of “Hannah Montana The Movie,” the big-screen incarnation of the series.  “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.”

“With ‘Hannah Montana,’ the character is the concept, so it easily translates to film,” adds Gough.  “It’s basically a superhero movie for girls.  She’s a normal high school student by day and pop star by night.  So, she’s dealing with identity issues, family issues, and relationship issues.  Most kids and adolescents who deal with the same issues feel as if they don’t have any power, so the idea of putting on a wig and a costume and being a powerful superhero is teen wish fulfillment.”

“Hannah Montana The Movie” transcends the line between fiction and reality.  In taking Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana back to Tennessee, the film transported Miley Cyrus, her father and co-stars back to the Cyruses’ real-life hometown, Nashville, giving the young actress a chance to be home again following her meteoric two-year rise to stardom.

“It’s super important to stay true to yourself and your family and stay in touch with who you are,” says Miley.  “When audiences walk away from the movie, I hope they feel like they’ve been to my home.  I hope they feel like they understand Nashville because Nashville is my everything.  Nashville is who I am.”

For all the confidence she inspires in others, Miley admits she was nervous about the film role and grateful she’d had the opportunity to develop these characters over time on a series.

“What’s been really cool in making the movie is to already understand the characters because of the television show.  I was scared out of my mind for half the movie.  Making a film is like learning the ropes all over again,” says Miley.  “Director Peter Chelsom would say, ‘OK, I believed that,’ and I thought, ‘What does that mean?’  Soon, I understood.  Our television show can be a little more unrealistic because it’s supposed to be crazy and fun, that’s part of a kid sitcom.  But a movie is different.  Peter was always saying, ‘Make it small, very little, you don’t have to do much at all.’”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Hannah Montana The Movie” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Newcomer Lucas Till lights up the screen in Walt Disney Pictures’ new comedy “Hannah Montana The Movie.” The young actor stars as Travis, a former childhood friend of Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) who becomes the first serious romance of the girl superstar when she returns to her Tennessee hometown.

Insecure and attracted to the blond-haired, blue-eyed cowboy, Miley drops Hannah Montana’s name thinking Travis will be impressed and possibly be more interested in her. After trying to hide her dual personas from Travis, Miley learns that he actually prefers her—not Hannah—and he feels betrayed when he discovers that she’s been fooling him.

Filmmakers say the role of Travis was the hardest one to cast. Once again, they passed on the idea of stunt or star casting in favor of finding the most real actor for the role of a young southern kid on his way to becoming a man.

“We were basically looking for that young Brad Pitt from ‘Thelma & Louise,’ and lo and behold, in from Atlanta, Georgia, on this tape comes Lucas Till. When we brought him in to screen test with Miley, they clicked, and we knew we had our guy,” says producer Alfred Gough.

Till explains, “There are a lot of similarities between me and Travis, which really attracted me to this role. Like a lot of southern guys, he’s reserved, and I’m from the South, and I’m a reserved guy. I don’t really like to show my emotions too much, and Travis kind of holds his feelings back. He loves riding horses, and I found out I really love riding horses. So Travis and I, we have a lot in common.”

In creating a romance for Miley/Hannah, the filmmakers wanted to explore the excitement and innocence of a teenage girl’s first serious case of infatuation. “This wasn’t about riding off into the sunset together and everything is happy and done,” says director Peter Chelsom. “In this instance, we wanted the two halves of the interest to move in a certain direction and affect each other, particularly Miley. The character of Travis is not just a hunk. It’s about what he represents and how he brings her down to earth.”

For his role as Travis, Till took guitar and piano lessons and began horseback riding a couple of hours a day for a few weeks before shooting began. Till, who had never ridden a horse before beginning rehearsals on the movie, was hooked. “It felt so good and natural, I should have been on a horse my entire life,” Till says. “I fell in love with riding. It’s an awesome, awesome experience to be able to learn that as part of my job.”

Till has just finished shooting his next feature film, “The Spy Next Door,” where he plays a young Russian spy opposite action star Jackie Chan. Till previously starred as young Jack Cash in the Oscar Award®-winning film “Walk the Line.” Lucas is originally from Atlanta and now resides in Los Angeles.

Opening soon across the Philippines, “Hannah Montana The Movie” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Walt Disney Pictures takes the Disney Channel phenom to the big screen in the feature film extravaganza “Hannah Montana The Movie” where 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 to 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.

“Hannah Montana The Movie” stars Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, Mitchel Musso, Moises Arias and Billy Ray Cyrus. Also starring are Lucas Till and Vanessa Williams. Guest stars include Tyra Banks, Taylor Swift and country music trio Rascal Flatts.

Bringing “Hannah Montana” to the big screen was a natural step in the evolution of Miley 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 discovers, you can indeed, go home again.

Opening soon across the Philippines , “Hannah Montana The Movie” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.