Welcome back home, Efron! The Baywatch star, Zac Efron , has reportedly been spotted shooting his upcoming movie at different locations in Melbourne. Remember in 2020, the star actor called Australia home during the pandemic, and now he is back.
‘Ricky Stanicky’
Zac’s upcoming film, Ricky Stanicky , follows a group of three close friends who created a fictional human character to take the blame for whatever mistake goes wrong in their little pranks. After a couple of years, the friends decided to hire an actor to play the part of their imaginary friend to avoid their wives from finding out.
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The Director
Peter Farrelly, popular for his work in Dumb and Dumber , is set to direct this upcoming comedy movie starring the likes of Zac Efron and John Cena.
Second Movie Together
For Efron and Farrelly, this would be the second movie they have made working together. The first was The Greatest Beer Run Ever , which aired on Apple TV+ last year.
Producers Involved
Joining in creating this comedic movie will be Oscar-winning Australian producer Paul Currie. Alongside him are international sales producer and agent Thorsten Schumacher and comedy producer John Jacobs.
Filming Duration
The entire Filming duration in Melbourne, Australia, is expected to last over the course of eight weeks, between February to March — it might also hit April. According to inside sources, the Victorian capital will double for Providence, Rhode Island.
Hotel Spotting
Throughout his stay in Down Under, Zac Efron has been spotted in several locations across Melbourne. On Tuesday evening, the 35-year-old actor was seen at The Royston Hotel in the suburbs of Richmond in what appears to be a scene from the movie.
How He Looked
The California native looked fully dressed for a business or professional meeting, wearing a long sleeve shirt, black trousers with gray pants, and a pair of black shoes.
Exit Scene
Not minding the crowd (and paparazzi) waiting to catch a picture of him, Efron looked focused in character. The star walked out of the bar and strode into a black car’s passenger seat before it drove off.
Hold The Paparazzi
While on the scene, crew members at one point had to hide Zac from the paparazzi by using a bunnings umbrella to cover his face.
Enjoying Down Under
The Greatest Showman actor has been seen enjoying most of Australia’s capital city. Earlier this week, Zac could be seen at a popular bar, Her and The George in Collins restaurant.
Hospital Visit
More reports on his movement around Melbourne show that he played golf during his off time and visited the Monash hospital for children.
Drinks For Everyone
Reports from the Herald Sun suggest that the star offered to buy a round of drinks for the patrons available at the local bar he visited. Later on, he was with co-star Anja Savcic enjoying the life of the city.
Praised Aussie Crew
From the set in Surrey Hills, Zac reportedly praised the production crew working with him. Efron referred to the Victorian crew as “incredible” while adding, “it’s a fantastic place to work.”
He Wants To Do It Again
Still speaking to the crew and acknowledging their “incredible” work, he said, “I would love to shoot stuff for the rest of my life here. I hope this is the beginning of that.”
Improving The Economy
Reports say that Ricky Stanicky will boost the movie industry in Victoria. By creating over 350 jobs and 850 roles for local residents and extras — an expected $40 million will be injected into the state’s economy.
Paul Currie’s Comment
One of the producers, Paul Currie, spoke on the benefit of the movie for the region. He said, “The Victorian industry just thrives on a movie of this scale, the ripple of it, it goes into so many other businesses, construction, catering, restaurants, accommodation, travel – the ripple is just huge when you have a footprint like this.”
Happy To Be Back
Director Peter Farrelly had some reminiscing words to say about Australia. In a statement, Farrelly said, “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.”
Dream Movie
Farrelly added that he has been trying to make the movie for over ten years, and it’s a dream come true for him. In his words, “To finally get to make the movie that I’ve been trying to make for ten years, it’s a dream come true.”
Release Date
The Hollywood comedy movie featuring Zac Efron, John Cena, and, possibly, Jim Carrey will be released in theaters in the first quarter of 2024.