Code 8: Part 2 - What We Know So Far

Back in 2016, cousins (and Arrowverse actors) Stephen and Robbie Amell decided to make their first feature film together. So, they went onto Indiegogo and started a crowd-funding campaign that eventually brought in about $2.5 million from more than 30,000 backers, making it the biggest crowd-funded Canadian film of all time (via Playback Online). They released a short film as a teaser, and then, in 2019, the movie came out in a limited theatrical run. 

However, the film — titled "Code 8" — gained the most traction when it appeared in April 2020 on Netflix, where it soon broke into the Netflix Top 10 and proved that the public has a taste for independent sci-fi flicks (per Wired). 

And thanks to the fact it did so well on Netflix, a sequel is coming. The Amells are attached to the new project, which is being called "Code 8: Part II" and will expand the world that's been built so far. "Code 8 is an incredibly personal and special project for all of us," Stephen Amell said in Deadline. "We built the world in the first one and now we're ready to blow it out!" Sounds dangerous, but we're in!

Deadline reports that "Code 8: Part II" is set for a start date at the end of 2021, so it looks like that's when production will begin. It's hard to know exactly how long production will take, but the earliest the sequel could release would probably be late 2022. 

A previous sequel of sorts had been announced as being in the works back in 2019. At that time, a short-form "Code 8" spin-off series was being planned for streaming service Quibi (via Entertainment Weekly), but naturally that died off when Quibi folded in 2020. The story that was set for the Quibi series did not seem much related to the plot of the currently-planned sequel, though. The short spin-off was set to follow electric-powered Connor Reed (Robbie) and telekinetic drug dealer Garrett (Stephen) as they work together to bring down a drug trafficking ring that's run by cops and the city's elite. 

The previous effort does show that the Amells were already making plans to expand the universe, and fans will soon see one of the results of that effort.

Both Amells are slated to be in the cast, reprising their previous characters of a criminal (Stephen) who recruits a day laborer (Robbie) with powers to pull off crimes. There's no word on who else might join them at this point, or whether other characters from the first film plan to be back for this installment — like Nia (Kyla Kane) or Agent Park (Sung Kang), who also appeared in the short that started the now-growing franchise. New characters for the sequel include a teen girl trying to get justice and corrupt cops, so there will be plenty of meaty roles for additional actors to take on. 

Jeff Chan, who directed the first one, will also be on board for the second. Chan wrote the screenplay with original "Code 8" screenwriter Chris Paré, plus Sherren Lee and Jesse LaVercombe. The new film will be executive produced by XYZ Films. Chan, the Amells, and Paré will produce, as they did with the first one. "There's nothing better than working with family and friends," Robbie Amell told Deadline. "'Code 8' was the embodiment of that. I can't wait to get back to work on the sequel."

"Code 8" takes place in a near-future world where 4 percent of all people possess abnormal abilities such as telekinesis, super strength and healing. However, the powers have been criminalized, rendering the bearers now poor and barely surviving through day laborer jobs. These powers often bring the super-powered into the orbit of the police, who shoot first and ask questions later, along with drones and robots designed to control them. This situation has driven many of this minority population to a life of crime, but things are made even worse by a new drug, "psyke," which is made from tapping into the spinal fluid of the 4 percent.

"Code 8: Park II" follows a teen girl who wants justice for her brother, killed at the hands of bad-seed police officers. She becomes a witness to the cover-up of the incident, making herself a target. Once that happens, she enlists Connor and Garrett to help her out. These three soon end up facing a police sergeant who is well-regarded, well-protected, and totally corrupt. He'll do whatever he can to prevent being exposed, which will make for some exciting sci-fi action set in the already-established landscape of Lincoln City.