Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear stars in Touchstone Pictures’ new teen drama “The Last Song” as the estranged father to Miley Cyrus’ character.

Based on Nicholas Sparks’ latest bestselling novel, “The Last Song” is set in a small Southern beach town where Steve (Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenage daughter (Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York . He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

Kinnear, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar® for his role in “As Good as It Gets,” plays Steve Miller, a concert pianist who left his family to concentrate on a career that didn’t pan out the way he hoped. Steve is now trying to reconnect with his two children before it’s too late. “Steve wants to reunite with his kids and get to know them again,” says the actor. “There are a lot of things that are unknown at the start of this movie, and they’re revealed over the course of the summer.”

The commitment Kinnear made to the role of Steve stayed with director Julie Anne Robinson. “Greg is so detailed,” she says. “I’ve worked with a lot of really great actors and Greg is definitely one of them. He cared so deeply about every aspect of his character, he would phone me up over the weekend with questions about a scene. He was Steve all day every day.”

The Miller family’s fractured dynamic struck a chord with Kinnear. “I was touched by the difficulty of trying to make permanent connections in a family that’s had a seismic rift in its infrastructure,” says Kinnear. “The parents are split up for reasons we don’t explore, but it seems like no one is necessarily at fault. But, as always, kids have taken the hit and in this case, the oldest daughter, Ronnie, is in that vulnerable stage where anger and hostility can be a real outlet. She’s mad as hell and she’s not going to take it anymore. My character is trying to repair that and resuscitate a sense of family.”

But Steve has a secret that he’s keeping from his family. “He’s trying to protect them, but until they have that information, there’s no way for this family to move forward,” says Kinnear. “I think Nicholas Sparks has a wonderful way with secrets. It’s dealt with very effectively.”

The father of three daughters, Kinnear is acutely sensitive to the challenges that come with the territory. “Father-daughter relationships are particularly complicated,” he says. “Steve’s relationship with his daughter is strained, to put it nicely, but he’s trying. He’s swimming upstream, because she’s full of salt and vinegar and has a lot of preconceived ideas about her father. Some aren’t entirely true, and that will be discovered.”

Kinnear was impressed by Cyrus’ work on the film. “This role asks a lot of Miley,” he says. “It’s full of complex emotions. She did really well. Miley has a great heart and she’s a real pro. I admire that. She takes it seriously, but at the same time, she keeps the environment charged with a lot of fun and a lot of energy. She’s an incredibly impressive 16-year-old.”

Opening across the Philippines on May 12, “The Last Song” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Teen sensation Miley Cyrus is thrilled to tackle her first dramatic role in a film written by Nicholas Sparks, with Touchstone Pictures’ “The Last Song.” She says that “A Walk to Remember” and “The Notebook” had a huge impact on her life. “His work has great, positive messages,” notes the young actress. “To me, the best thing is that kids love it, but it’s also mature enough to appeal to adults. It’s unusual to find that kind of balance.”

“The Last Song” is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Greg Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenage daughter, Ronnie (Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

Cyrus says the predicament her character faces in the film rang true for her. “When her parents separated, she made some bad choices. But she starts to find her way to being a happier person through faith and love and friendship. Those are the most important ingredients to happiness and they are things in life that we sometimes overlook.

“I love music and I love entertaining,” adds the teen star. “It makes me so sad to think of not doing this. So it makes me sad that someone with the talent that Ronnie has would deliberately cut herself off from it. Living without music in my life would be like having no air to breathe, and for Ronnie, it’s much the same thing. She gives it up to prove a point to her dad and, really, she’s just cheating herself.”

Director Julie Anne Robinson was not familiar with her leading lady’s previous work when she signed on to direct “The Last Song,” but she was quickly won over by Cyrus’ natural talent and charisma. “She has this amazing star quality,” says the director. “She just glows, and when she walks on the set, everybody knows it. Sometimes I cannot believe she’s 16 years old. She’s got a tremendous range.”

The role required Cyrus to expand her musical horizons by learning piano, which she says she picked up quickly. “Maybe it was easier because I already play guitar,” says Cyrus, who plans to continue her piano studies. “I learned not just how to play a song but how to play it like a classically trained musician, the way to sit, the way you look when you’re at the piano, the posture, the fingering. It’s a lot more discipline than just casual playing. The learning experiences are a part of my job I really love. So many people dream of learning something like this and I’m getting this experience along with making a movie.”

The actress hopes this will be the first in a series of roles that allow her to stretch and grow. “I think it’s really important to look for roles that are challenging,” says Cyrus. “This came up at a crazy time. I had a tour, I was working on the show; I thought it might be impossible to fit this in, but it all fell into place. It was perfect, because that’s what this movie’s about—things coming together so beautifully against all odds.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “The Last Song” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.

Celebrate pop royalty with three Poptastic princesses who don’t only flash their shining crowned tresses on your TV screens, they also rock out the world with their infectious music led by their power vocals!

Roll down the red carpet for Disney’s Princesses of Pop!

DEMI LOVATO

She started out as an innocent daughter of a caterer who had a simple dream of going to the hottest camp in town, Camp Rock! She had the ultimate chance of a lifetime of starring in a movie alongside the biggest heartthrobs of the teen world, The Jonas Brothers! Yet, instead of receiving hate mail from across the globe from numerous Jonas fans, she became a hot topic and the favorite of both boys and girls due to her power vocals and insistently charming looks! Her new album, Here We Go Again has been in retail and music charts for consecutive weeks and despite its massive success, Demi is far from laying back and going with the flow. She’s up on her feet again for the sequel of Camp Rock! The sequel features a rival camp, called Camp Star! It’s a duel between the hottest Disney icons you wouldn’t want to miss. For the meantime, check out as Demi Lovato shows her crazy antics with the Jonas Brothers in their latest online video, BOUNCE.

SELENA GOMEZ

Selena Gomez took her sweet time before recording her debut album. After all, she had her hands full starring in her hit Disney Channel series “Wizards of Waverley Place,” not to mention appearing in a string of movies and other TV shows. Still, music had been a core passion of hers going back to childhood. A child no more, Selena comes on strong with her premiere CD, Kiss & Tell. It is nothing less than the emancipation proclamation of a young artist with a lot to say. She admits that she initially prioritized acting playing roles in Barney, Spy Kids 3-D, Horton Hears a Who and the infamous Wizards of Waverly Place. Yet even before making her album, she is no stranger to the world of music – soundtracks to be exact. She has also performed songs “101 Dalmatians,” “Another Cinderella Story” and “Tinker Bell.”  With a new album, a hit show and more movies on the horizon, it’s a wonder Selena has time left for anything else. But she makes time to give something back. She has volunteered for St Jude’s Hospital for children, Disney’s Friends for Change and she was twice named youth ambassador for UNICEF, a role that recently took her on a fact-finding trip to Africa. It all served to expand her perspective on life. “I am constantly growing and changing,” she says, “but I like to think my morals about family and friendships haven’t changed,” words from a princess who doesn’t only care about her passion in life but the welfare of her fellow dreamers as well.

MILEY CYRUS

Ask any kid nowadays who their favorite teen star is and you’ll definitely get Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus as an answer. She is one of the most exposed teen icons in the industry today with her talent and irresistible looks flaunted on TV, magazines, movies, newspapers, toy stores, and all other avenues for exposure, making her so reachable, fans worldwide just can’t get enough! Yet, much recognition should be given for her music that crosses all boarders of society. She is the youngest star to be lined up alongside the industry’s legends. Just recently, she was able to beat veteran artists Black Eyed Peas and Mariah Carey with her new single, Party in the U.S.A. Her latest album, The Time of Our Lives is rapidly climbing up local music retail charts and has seated at the number one position in global scoring. As if one album is not enough, the soundtrack of the full movie version of her top series Hannah Montana has reached Gold status as well! Her success continues to spread like wildfire whether it’s in acting, singing or dancing and there’s definitely more to look forward to as her evolution continues towards a smooth transition from teeny bopper heartthrob to a full pledged music phenomenon! Miley Cyrus is indeed a jack of all trades that masters all fields of excellence.

Celebrate the music of Disney’s Princesses of Pop by grabbing copies of their new albums, Here We Go Again (Demi Lovato), Kiss & Tell (Selena Gomez & The Scene), the Time of Our Lives (Miley Cyrus) now available at your Odyssey, Astrovision and Music One stores! Their songs are also available for mobile as ring back tones, true tones and full track music.

To know more music for your mobile for Globe subscribers,
Simply text the following to 2222:
MILEY CYRUS
SELENA GOMEZ
DEMI LOVATO
The new albums of Disney’s Princesses of Pop are exclusively distributed by MCA Music Inc.

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.