After starring in the action-packed spy film Argylle, WWE wrestler John Cena is ready to play a washed-up actor in Amazon MGM Studios' latest raucous comedy, Ricky Stanicky. The upcoming film follows a trio of male friends(one of them being played by Zac Efron), who use their fictitious friend, Ricky Stanicky, as the perfect cover-up for them to flee from their everyday responsibilities and have some bro time. When their spouses and partners begin to question Ricky Stanicky's existence, the group must hire an actor to pretend to be him. As you may have well imagined, things get out of hand really fast when the person hired to do the job takes the role a little too seriously. From release date to plot details, here is everything you should know about the Cena-led comedy.

Does 'Ricky Stanicky' Have a Release Date?

If you are looking forward to watching this bro comedy, here is some exciting news. Ricky Stanicky will drop on Prime Video very soon, on March 7, 2024. The R-rated film has a 108-minute runtime, and it will only be available to watch via the streaming platform. For those who aren't subscribed to Prime Video yet, you can sign up to start your 30-day free trial followed by a monthly plan that costs $14.99.

Is There a Trailer for 'Ricky Stanicky'?

Yes, there is. The official trailer came out on January 26, 2024, and it gives an inside glimpse at Cena's latest onscreen character. The clip starts with Dean answering a phone call from Ricky, talking about his upcoming surgery. Although everyone in the room who overhears the conversation hasn't met Ricky in real life, Dean's partner encourages him to go see his friend and give him the support he deserves throughout his recovery. What we later come to understand is that it was a phony conversation, giving Dean and his best friends the perfect alibi for their "bro's trip" to Atlanta City. Yet, once they return from their short getaway, their spouses and partners begin to question whether Ricky is a real person. Fearful that the truth about their imaginary friend might be revealed, Dean and his buddies hire a washed-up actor named Rod to pretend to be Ricky. From the likes of the trailer, their lie will lead to various twists and turns. Rod sees Ricky as the role of a lifetime, even convincing Dean's boss to land him a corporate job. As this imaginary friend becomes a little too real for comfort, the main trio must find a way to get rid of the actor once and for all.

What Is 'Ricky Stanicky' About?

Here is the film's official synopsis:

"When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean, JT, and Wes (Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler) still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behavior. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet the fabled Mr. Stanicky, the guilty trio decide to hire washed-up actor and raunchy celebrity impersonator “Rock Hard” Rod (John Cena) to bring him to life. But when Rod takes his role of a lifetime too far, they begin to wish they’d never invented Ricky in the first place."

Who's In the Cast of 'Ricky Stanicky'?

As previously mentioned, John Cena plays Rod (aka Ricky Stanicky) in this goofy film. After getting his start in the WWE, the well-known wrestler made a smooth transition to the acting scene. From Peacemaker to Freelance, Cena has been a part of several onscreen projects and is now gearing up for his next major release. To amp up the hype, the wrestler even created an OnlyFans account under the name Ricky Stanicky to share some promo content of the film.

After all the buzz he garnered for his performance in The Iron Claw, Zac Efron returns to comedy territory as Dean, one of the immature men that comes up with the Ricky Stanicki prank and hires Rod to live out the imaginary friend. The actor who originally had his breakout role in Disney's High School Musical franchise, has made other films that have a similar feel to this Prime Video original. Some of them include Baywatch, Neighbors, and Dirty Grandpa.

Other names involved in the onscreen project are Andrew Santino (Beef) and Jermaine Fowler (A Murder at the End of the World) as Dean's best friends JT and Wes, William H. Macy (Shameless) as Dean's boss Summerhayes, and Lex Scott Davis (Florida Man) as Erin, and Anja Savcic (Family Law) as Susan.

Who's Making 'Ricky Stanicky'?

Oscar winner Peter Farelly is a veteran in the comedy genre, having written, directed, and produced both Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary. He is also the director and producer behind Ricky Stanicky, the upcoming raccous feature film starring Cena and Efron. According to Farelly in an interview with Deadline in 2022, there is more to the project than what initially meets the eye:

"Ricky Stanicky, I think, is just a hilarious movie, and it’s a great message, not just a bunch of hard-R laughs. There’s Something About Mary ultimately is about true love. There were many times when Ted, the Ben Stiller character, would have just backed off, except he was in love. He gets these bogus reports that Mary has got all sorts of issues; she’s got too many kids by too many guys; she’s on welfare. He still wants to find her because he loves her, and that’s the ultimate message. The message of Ricky Stanicky is somewhat different, but I think it will resonate.”

The film's screenplay was written by Farelly, Jeffrey Bushell (Marvin Marvin), Brian Jarvis (The Greatest Beer Run Ever), James Lee Freeman (Loudermilk), Pete Jones (Hall Pass), and Mike Cerrone (Me, Myself, and Irene). Farelly, Jacobs, and Bushell are also credited as producers in Ricky Stanicky.