The US-based Dick Cook Studios has announced the production of two films at Melbourne's Docklands Studios, with the complex getting $46 million from the state government for a new sound stage.

Dick Cook Studios will also receive $30 million in federal incentive funding for agreeing to make Ranger's Apprentice, based on the 13-book series by author John Flanagan, and the Alchemyst, from Michael Scott's six-book series, in Melbourne.

'It is clearly our desire to make this (Docklands) our home. We plan on being here for, frankly, as long as you'll have us. We hope we can do many, many projects and many, many films," studio founder and chairman Dick Cook told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.

The Hollywood film maker has been lured to Melbourne as part of a bid to make the city rival Sydney and the Gold Coast as Australia's film-making hotspots.

The sound stage is set to be the biggest in the southern hemisphere and is expected to be finished in late 2021, Premier Daniel Andrews says.

He also expects the films to generate a combined $200 million for Victoria's economy.

Last year, the Queensland and federal governments teamed up to provide incentives to Hollywood film studio Paramount to bring the production of children's movie Dora the Explorer to the sunshine state.

Australian Associated Press