Hannah Montana debuts at No. 1 in US box-office

MANILA, Philippines - Miley Cyrus flexed her muscles again at the multiplexes with Walt Disney Pictures’ family comedy Hannah Montana: The Movie which defeated all competitors for a No. 1 debut over the Easter holiday weekend.

Disney ruled the North American box-office with an estimated $34-M opening for Hannah over the Friday-to-Sunday period as the actress/rocker’s fan base came out in droves. The G-rated movie about the popular TV character’s reconnection to her roots averaged a powerful $10,904 from 3,118 theaters. It was the second biggest opening ever over the Easter holiday frame trailing only 2006’s Scary Movie ($40.2-M).

In Hannah Montana: The Movie, Miley Stewart (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 Crowley Corners, 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. 

The teen superstar first proved her box-office clout last year with the musical Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert which debuted at No. 1 over Super Bowl weekend with a stunning $31.1-M from only 683 3D venues.

Next up for the 16-year-old is The Last Song, written by the bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, which Disney plans to have in theaters next year.

Opening soon, Hannah Montana: The Movie is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.