Zac Efron hopes to continue his love affair with filming in Melbourne

Hollywood star Zac Efron says he wants to film in Melbourne for “the rest of his life” after spending time in the city shooting his latest movie.

Hollywood star Zac Efron has sung the praises of Melbourne and vowed to do more film and TV projects in the Victorian capital.

Efron, who is here to shoot the comedy Ricky Stanicky with John Cena, Andrew Santino, William H Macy, Jermaine Fowler and Jeff Ross, said: “It’s a lovely spot to film, (with) a lot of location checklists. It could be a jungle, a neighbourhood, anywhere.

“I would like to shoot things for the rest of my life here,” Efron added. “I hope this is the beginning of that.”

Efron also filmed parts of The Greatest Beer Run Ever and his Netflix doco Down To Earth in Melbourne.

Zac Efron has sung Melbourne’s praises. Picture: Getty Images

“We’ve shot a couple of things out here, it’s been nothing but a great experience,” Efron said.

“There’s great art out here, it’s fantastic place to work. You have really great writers, directors and crews.”

Ricky Stanicky’s writer and director Peter Farrelly asked Efron: “You spend a lot of time out here when you’re not shooting, right?”

Noticing Efron’s panicked eyes, Farrelly hastily added: “But it’s not where you live!”

Santino, laughing: “He lives in Perth. Check there first.”

Efron: “It’s great to be shooting (Ricky Stanicky) here, it’s great to have an American cast here, but the rest is pure Australian.”

The film shot in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Thursday, in a home replicating a Cape Cod bungalow.

Zac Efron arrives at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Meanwhile, the film’s stars have soaked up Melbourne’s dining and live music choices, sneaking into gigs and eating at local hot spots including Attica, Arbory Afloat, Gimlet, The Espy Kitchen, Supernormal and the 24-hour souvlaki go-to, Stalactites.

“The only thing bad about Melbourne is the coffee, it’s been really terrible,” Santino joked.“I’m kidding, relax. You guys and your coffee. It’s like, ‘Have you had the coffee, do you like the coffee?’ Every time they hand it to you, it’s like, ‘Huh? Right?’”

Asked what Melbourne cuisine they’ll miss most when the film wraps, Fowler said meat pies. Cena loves the coffee.

“I’ll miss the kangaroo,” Santino joked. “Haven’t had koala yet, but I’m excited to try it.”

Cena has been regularly spotted enjoying breakfast in Degraves St, dining uptown, and has visited the NGV International.

He’s also been photographed wearing a mini skirt for his role as Ricky Stanicky in the movie.

“That’s the thrill of being an actor,” he said of frocking up for the film. “You get to invest yourself in whatever you put forward, whatever the costume is, and whatever the creative process is,” Cena said.

Peter Farrelly, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Steve Dimopoulos, Caroline Pitcher, Zac Efron and John Cena on the set of Ricky Stanicky.

“If you embrace it wholeheartedly, you never know what magic you’ll create. That’s the beauty of wat we do.”

Ricky Stanicky is about three pals (played by Efron, Santino and Fowler) who invent a fake friend, Ricky Stanicky, to blame for their past misdeeds.

Twenty years later, when their suspicious wives and partners ask to meet Stanicky, they hire an out-of-work actor, played by Cena, to portray him.

Cena added dryly: “Then hilarity ensues”.

So far, the film has shot in the CBD, Southbank, Abbotsford.

The Melbourne locations are doubling for Providence, Rhode Island.

Victoria’s Creative Industries Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, visited the Ricky Stanicky film set on Thursday.

“There’s something great about movie making and Hollywood stars, but it’s meaningful here,” Mr Dimopoulos said. “There are over 400 full time jobs, just on this project, and a 40 million spend in the Victorian economy.

“We are ready to roll out the red capret for any blockbuster coming here because it’s a good economic spend and good training ground for our future film makers.”