Miley doesn’t sing in new film

Associated Press

SANTA MONICA, Calif.

Singing was the last thing on Miley Cyrus’ mind in “The Last Song.”

Other than a brief sing-along to a tune on a car radio, her character doesn’t do any crooning, something Cyrus deliberately avoided with her first lead in a live-action film that doesn’t feature musical alter-ego Hannah Montana. The film will be released April 2.

Music in general is going on hold for Cyrus, who said an upcoming album will be her last for at least a few years, because she wants to concentrate on big-screen roles.

Cyrus, 17, has a handful of episodes left to shoot in the final season of “Hannah Montana,” the Disney Channel series that made her a star. She has remained in the Disney stable for a “Hannah Montana” concert movie and feature film and led the voice cast with John Travolta in the studio’s animated hit “Bolt.”

“The Last Song,” also from Disney, is a calculated effort by teen idol Cyrus to graduate into more grown-up territory and bring her fans along without alienating them as she moves beyond Hannah’s happy world.

Cyrus’ character, Ronnie, is dealing with grim issues involving her divorced parents as she reluctantly spends a summer with her estranged dad.