Liam Neeson has been spotted in a small Australian town for his first day of filming his upcoming Hollywood movie, Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky.

The 71-year-old, originally from Ballymena, is currently in Walhalla, Victoria – approximately two-and-a-half hours east of Melbourne.

The actor was wearing a plaid shirt layered with a zipped padded vest and a pair of dark jeans, not exactly appropriate for the scorching hot weather in Australia.

A makeup artist was seen applying fake blood to his forehead for the scene, which involved a Mount Everest tour bus.

Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky follows ice road trucker Mike McCann, played by Neeson, who travels to Nepal to spread his brother’s ashes on Mount Everest.

The first film in the series was set in Canada.

In the heritage town of Walhalla, the local scenery has been transformed to depict a Nepalese marketplace.

Local media outlet 7News said locals find it “odd”.

Buildings have been painted in bright colours and Nepalese props have been added, but production said the town will return to its original state once filming wraps on January 24.

Letters were sent to residents and business owners last month with information about the production, informing that up to 90 cast and crew are expected to film in the town.

“You will notice increased activity in the lead up to and on filming days,’ the letter from Servo Productions read.

“During preparations, you will notice changes to Walhalla’s Star Hotel and other landmarks on Main Road. Most notably at the Walhalla Rotunda, the Fire Station Museum and carpark.

“During the filming period, there will be stunts involving large vehicles, special effects and prop gun use,” it continued.

“Traffic Management will be in place to support crew and public vehicles, as well as onsite personnel to guide members of the public.

“We are requesting a temporary slower speed limit and use of traffic management on filming days to ensure safety for our crew and members of the public.”

The letter added: “Main Rd will remain open, however short delays of up to 10 minutes are to be expected at various times during the filming period.

“We will endeavour to minimise disruption to locals and visitors as much as possible.”

The 2021 film, the first in the series, is currently streaming on Netflix and sees Neeson’s character working under pressure following a diamond mine collapse in northern Canada, putting a group of miners in grave danger.

The motion picture was finished in early 2020 and Netflix picked up its rights for $18 million in March 2021.