As long as the general public can’t get enough of all things Hannah Montana, neither can Disney. What originated as a hokily-conceived low-budget sitcom has become one of the company’s biggest money-makers, raking in cash in a variety of platforms, including 2008′s 3-D concert film. Following in the footsteps of High School Musical 3 and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, this eponymous film will be closer to the Disney Channel TV series, as it takes Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), her two close friends (Mitchel Musso, Emily Osment), father (Billy Ray Cyrus), and brother (Jason Earles) to Tennessee, where filming began in May 2008. Beyond that and casting calls for specific parts (like a teenaged male love interest and ethnically diverse adults), the plot remains unknown. Slated to appear in the film are “The Office”‘s Melora Hardin as Robbie Ray’s farmer love interest, Barry Bostwick, Peter Gunn, Vanessa Williams, Margo Martindale, Lucas Till, and teen country sensation Taylor Swift. The production caused Miley Cyrus to miss her 2008 prom. Oh well, the 15-year-old girl made $18.2 million last year.
I think she’ll be okay. An April 10, 2009, theatrical release is scheduled, moving the film up from its original date of May 1. That’s intended to let the movie prosper against light spring competition before the summer season arrives.
