Sartaj Singh
A Peter Farrelly directorial, ‘Ricky Stanicky’ is a comedy film about three friends who go a step too far in using an imaginary friend as an alibi, and end up having to hire an eccentric performer to stand in for the alter ego. Dean (Zac Efron), JT, and Wes created Ricky Stanicky as an excuse to get them out of trouble. Twenty years later, the trio of now-adult friends still rely on the persona of Stanicky to get them out of tough spots and to give them an excuse to travel and party unbeknownst to their wives and families.
When the spouses become suspicious of the trio and call into question the existence of this so-called Stanicky, Dean comes up with a plan to hire an actor to personify their alibi by enacting the legendary friend. The friends come across a washed-up actor and impersonator, Rock Hard Rod, who agrees to take up the role. However, Rod plays his part a little too well and begins to loom over the lives of Dean, JT, and Wes, making them wish they had taken accountability for their actions to begin with. The Amazon Prime Movie takes us across a slew of eye-catching locales, from gleaming Las Vegas stages to bustling metropolitan streets, leading some to investigate the exact filming locales chosen for the movie.
Ricky Stanicky Filming Locations
‘Ricky Stanicky’ was largely filmed across sites in the metropolitan area of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. Principal photography for the movie took place over eight weeks in February and March of 2023. Allow us to take you through the shooting locations chosen to create this hilarious film.
Melbourne Metropolitan Area, Australia
In ‘Ricky Stanicky,’ the cityscape and neighborhoods of Melbourne doubled for Providence, Rhode Island. The city’s vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere allows it to stand in for a diverse array of locales, as seen in the film. Shooting for the adult comedy took place within Southbank, Abbotsford, Surrey Hills, Bundoora, and Clayton. The Casino visited by the friends in the movie is actually the Crown Melbourne on 8 Whiteman Street. Located on the southern bank of the Yarra River, the world-class casino contains a conference center and retail precinct while being renowned for its luxury accommodation, events, and catering services.
Both interiors and exteriors of the establishment were utilized when shooting scenes of the trio first coming across Rod. The Oz Tenpin Bowling Greensborough Lanes is a bowling alley that lent its interior to the bowling sequence seen in the film. It is situated at 445 Grimshaw Street in Bundoora, a suburb of Melbourne. Close by, a site on the campus of RMIT University became a set for the film. This location on Bowen Street was transformed into the Rhode Island hospital seen in the movie. Many of the cinema-inclined students of the university gladly took the opportunity to meet with the cast and crew of ‘Ricky Stanicky.’
The Monash Children’s Hospital on 246 Clayton Road in Clayton also became a prominent filming site for the film. The location served to provide a backdrop to the interior scenes of the hospital seen in the movie. Many of the children at the hospital became a part of the film by starring in it as extras during these sequences. The film crew also ventured to the east of Melbourne, to the inner city of Abbotsford to capture a few scenes. With its hip cafes, chic eateries, historical architecture, and parks, the locale is beloved by artists and families alike.
The Royston Hotel at 12 River Street in Richmond can be spotted in a few scenes of the characters drinking at a bar. The production team additionally filmed segments of the film’s suburban neighborhood in Surrey Hills, located west of Richmond. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, Melbourne boasts a supportive film industry. ‘Ricky Stanicky’ received attractive tax incentives and government support upon choosing Melbourne as its major filming site. “It’s a fantastic place to work, you guys have really great writers, directors, and crews,” said actor Zac Efron while shooting in Surrey Hills for the movie. “I would love to shoot stuff for the rest of my life here. I hope this is the beginning of that.”
Greater Geelong City, Australia
To lens the hilarious airport sequences of the movie, the film crew traveled to the Avalon Airport at 80 Beach Road. Situated in the South West region of Victoria and jutting out into Port Phillip, the coastal city harbors the Avalon Airport adjacent to the locality of Avalon.
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