Entertainment Weekly has revealed that Code 8: Part II will arrive on Netflix on February 28. The first movie largely flew under the radar when it was released in 2019, but it received praise from critics and sci-fi fans alike.
However, when the movie made the jump to Netflix, it quickly became a surprise hit on the streamer, prompting them to move forward with a follow-up.
"When I got to see it for the first time, I got to the end of it, and I was like, 'I want more. I want more,'" Stephen Amell tells the site. "The whole experience feels like we graduated, it’s been extraordinary."
Robbie Amell adds, "We were able to make the first movie thanks to the passion of the 30,000 fans who backed us - we wouldn’t be here without them. Having the opportunity to bring them along on the next part of Connor and Garrett’s story, but without asking for anything in return is just incredible."
You may recall that Code 8 started life as a 2016 short. Later, an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign - which aimed to raise 200,000 so they could make a full-length feature - drew a whopping $2.4 million, leading to Code 8 being released in 2019.
Originally, the sequel was going to be a Quibi series, only for it to transform into a feature. "Jeff [Chan], our director, is very good at blending genres so it’s got the excitement, but you have these real characters and real relationships that you care about, because if you don’t care about them, then the powers mean nothing," Robbie explains.
"He’s amazing at creating these worlds and these stories where you’re invested in the people. And then, we get an incredible visual effects team, we get to have some very cool action scenes, and we deliver the entertainment factor because at the end of the day, that’s the goal."
In this sequel to Code 8, Connor (Robbie Amell) is out of prison and working as a janitor at a community centre, having cut ties with his former criminal associate Garrett (Stephen Amell).
Connor’s attempt at staying out of trouble is destroyed when he’s forced to help 14-year-old Pav (Sirena Gulamgaus) escape from a pack of corrupt officers led by Sergeant King (Alex Mallari Jr.). King uses the newly launched robotic K9s to track Pav down, while Connor finds himself once again reaching out to Garrett and his crew for help, but can he trust the man who landed him in prison in the first place?
Jeff Chan returns as the movie's director and penned the script alongside Jesse LaVercombe, Sherren Lee, and Chris Pare. As for the cast, it's led by Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Sirena Gulamgaus, Alex Mallari Jr., Jean Yoon, and Aaron Abrams.
Code 8: Part II is set to premiere on Netflix on February 28. You can check out some new stills from the sequel below.