Amazon’s Prime Video has taken worldwide rights to Peter Farrelly‘s long awaited “Ricky Stanicky.” The long-gestating film will shoot in Melbourne, Australia where the film’s two stars Zac Efron and John Cena have now arrived.
Ricky Stanicky is the name of an imaginary character invented and perpetuated by three friends over several years so that they have someone to blame for their misbehavior. When their partners become suspicious, they’re forced to hire a washed-up actor to bring Stanicky to life. The move has dire, but hilarious consequences. Cena will play Stanicky.
The film marks a return for Farrelly to the R-rated comedy genre, in which he previously delivered “Something About Mary” and “Hall Pass.”
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For Efron, the film is his second with Farrelly who directed his recent “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” which premiered globally on Apple TV+ last September.
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“Ricky Stanicky” will enjoy A$9.5 million ($6.75 million) of financial support from the Australian federal government’s Location Incentive scheme. To date, A$421 million ($299 million) has been committed under the system, to attract 37 international productions to Australia.
Additional support for the film will come from the Victoria state government’s Victorian Screen Incentive program. The project is expected to inject more than A$70 million ($49.7 million) into the Australian economy and create more than 400 jobs for local cast and crew, officials said.
Production will take place through February and March. Melbourne doubles for Providence, Rhode Island.
Oscar-winning Australian producer, Paul Currie (“Hacksaw Ridge”), international sales agent and producer, Thorsten Schumacher, and comedy producer John Jacobs will produce. CAA Media Finance is representing rights in North America, while Schumacher’s Rocket Science was credited with handling international sales in the rest of the world ahead of the Amazon deal.
“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,” said Farrelly in a statement. “And to finally get to make the movie that I’ve been trying to make for ten years, it’s a dream come true.” In 2013, it was reported that Jim Carrey would star in the Summit Entertainment production with Steve Oedekerk directing.