A new comedy from Peter Farrelly, starring Zac Efron and John Cena, will begin filming in Melbourne in February.
Ricky Stanicky has received a $9.5 million grant via the government’s Location Incentive, with the expectation it will inject more than $70 million into the economy and create in excess of 400 local screen jobs. The production is also being supported by Victorian Government via the Victorian Screen Incentive.
According to the synopsis, the story follows three childhood friends who create a fictitious character to get them out of sticky situations. When their partners become suspicious, they’re forced to hire a washed-up actor to bring him to life with dire, yet hilarious consequences. The cast also includes Jermaine Fowler.
Australian producer Paul Currie, known for Hacksaw Ridge and last year’s action thriller Blacklight, is producing alongside Thorsten Schumacher and John Jacobs.
CAA Media Finance is representing the US rights, while Schumacher’s Rocket Science is handling the international rights on the picture.
Amazon announced on Thursday it had acquired worldwide rights to the film, which will stream as an Amazon Original Movie on Prime Video.
Farrelly, who worked with Efron on 2022’s The Greatest Beer Run Ever, paid tribute to the producing trio for making the project a reality.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back in Australia – and, specifically, in Melbourne, where I spent my honeymoon 26 years ago.
“And to finally get to make the movie that I’ve been trying to make for ten years, it’s all just a dream come true.”
The comedy is the first international project to be announced under the Location Incentive for 2023 and comes a day after Arts Minister Tony Burke unveiled the Revive National Cultural Policy.
“Bringing productions like this to Victoria means more Australian jobs and a chance to showcase more Australian creativity to the world,” Burke said.
“It’s great another international production has chosen to call Australia home.”
According to the government, $421.2 million has been committed under the Location Incentive to attract 37 international productions to Australia. Recent examples include Apple TV+’s Metropolis and Universal Pictures’ Fall Guy, which is currently filming in Sydney.