Filming for Liam Neeson’s new movie is set to begin in a small historical Victorian town which is home to only 20 people.
Walhalla, a picturesque 161-year-old town frozen in time, has been transformed into a Nepalese marketplace for Ice Road 2: Road To The Sky, the sequel to Neeson’s 2021 action film The Ice Road.
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Two main filming locations are being used, the first being the intersection of Main Rd and Right Hand Branch Rd and the second being the top of Churchill Rd above the Fire Station Museum.
Several of the town’s buildings have been given a facelift, including the Star Hotel which has been painted a neon green and the Rotunda which is now a royal blue — a stark contrast to the town’s usual heritage facade.
Filming is scheduled to begin on Wednesday and is set to wrap on January 24.
The production has created almost 600 jobs for Victorians and is expected to inject over $30 million into the state’s economy.
The area will be returned to its previous condition from January 25 to 31.
In a letter to residents in December, production company Servo Productions said during the filming period there would be “stunts involving large vehicles, special effects and prop gun use”.
“Traffic Management will be in place to support crew and public vehicles, as well as onsite personnel to guide members of the public.”
Walhalla is located about 42 minutes north of Traralgon and over two hours east of Melbourne.
The Gippsland town, nestled away in the mountainside, is home to only 20 people, however, was once a bustling gold-mining town with more than 4000 residents.
Features of the town include the Walhalla post office which doubles as a museum, the old fire station which houses historical firefighting equipment and a sprawling cemetery up the side of a mountain with more than 1000 graves.
Ice Road 2: Road To The Sky, will follow Mike McCann (Neeson), an ice road driver, who travels to Nepal to spread his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest.
While on a bus tour with his mountain guide, McCann encounters a group of Nepalese mercenaries, forcing the truck driver to fight to save not only his life but also the innocent passengers.
The sequel is again being directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, who was also the writer behind Armageddon and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
The film will also be shot around Melbourne and will use NantStudios located at the Docklands.
