Liam Neeson is to reprise his function as a truck driver turned rescue employee from 2021 indie hit “The Ice Highway.”

With director Jonathan Hensleigh (author of “Die Exhausting with a Vengeance,” “Armageddon” and “Jumanji”) once more on board, “The Ice Highway 2: Highway to the Sky” relocates its story from Canada within the authentic to Nepal within the sequel. Movie manufacturing is ready to shift from North America to Australia’s Victoria State.

Filming will start this month utilizing Gippsland city of Walhalla because the backdrop for among the image’s motion scenes. It would additionally shoot in and round Melbourne and make use of digital manufacturing, quantity screens and expertise at NantStudios @ Docklands Studios Melbourne.

“The Ice Highway 2: Highway to the Sky” is a Code Leisure, Shivhans, EMA manufacturing. Its producers are Code’s Al Corley, Bart Rosenblatt and Eugene Musso, together with Shivani Rawat of ShivHans and Hensleigh, in addition to Lee Nelson and David Tish of Envision Media Arts (EMA).

Government producers are Jonathan Dana, together with Julie Goldstein and Connor Flanagan of ShivHans, and Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel of The Answer Leisure Group, and David Buelow of EMA.

Becoming a member of Neeson within the solid are Australians Bernard Curry (“Wentworth,” “Savage River”), Geoff Morrell (“Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy,” “Harrow”) and Grace O’Sullivan (“Erinsborough Excessive,” “Neighbours”).

The federal and state governments confirmed that they are going to be offering monetary help to the image by their Location Incentive scheme and through the Victorian Display screen Incentive and Regional Location Help Fund.

Whereas the movie’s manufacturing price range was not disclosed, Victoria’s performing minister for artistic industries Natalie Hutchins mentioned that the manufacturing will inject over A$30 million ($20 million) into the state economic system. It would create practically 600 employment alternatives for native display business employees and extras, with 15 locals taking over main head of division roles.

“’Ice Highway 2’ is a part of a robust pipeline of native and worldwide productions that may energy our display business this 12 months, creating jobs, boosting native companies and showcasing Victoria to the world,” mentioned Hutchins.

The movie joins a slate of different main tasks filming within the state. These embody Netflix sequence “Apple Cider Vinegar” and “The Survivors,” that are each at present in manufacturing. Werner Movie Manufacturing sequence “The Newsreader” can be set to return for a 3rd season.

Neeson beforehand filmed in Victoria in 2020 with conspiracy thriller “Blacklight.”