Sparks presented the producers with a fun, yet emotionally driven father-daughter story. "Both the screenplay and the novel were written with Miley very much in mind," he says.

"But I write to write a great story and I had to balance those things. The finished product is definitely not a Hannah Montana movie.

"It’s an ensemble piece with a talented cast that will appeal to audiences of all ages. Ronnie is a really compelling female character going through things that a lot of teenagers are going through. She’s forced to really grow and mature through the course of the film."

Cyrus was thrilled to tackle her first dramatic role in a film by Nicholas Sparks. 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."

Sparks collaborated with longtime friend Jeff Van Wie to write the screenplay. "We’ve known each other since college, more than 25 years, says Sparks.

"Jeff is very successful in the business world, but he always dreamed of writing a screenplay. When Jennifer asked if I would be willing to do a script, I thought Jeff and I could do it together.

"We had written together before, so we knew we could work well together. Even though he lives in the Northeast and I live in the South, we had phones, we had email and we talked endlessly every evening."

The result, according to Kelly Preston, who plays Ronnie’s mother, Kim, is "heartbreaking and life affirming at the same time." 

"Nick’s work has so much depth," the actress continues. "He writes about simple things that happen in real life, about finding the beauty in small moments. Nicholas has a beautiful way of looking at the human condition that allows him to write in the head of a 17-year-old as well as he can any adult."

The Last Song is released 30th April.

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