XYZ Films Purchases Stephen and Robbie Amell’s Code 8

Stephen and Robbie Amell are ready to use their superpowers at the global level. XYZ Films has acquired Code 8, the 2016 sci-fi thriller the duo starred in, for international sales. The short film featured the cousins and was directed by Jeff Chan, who co-wrote it with producer, Chris Pare (the Call of Duty franchise).

Set in a world where 4% of the population is born with some type and level of a supernatural ability, they are not billionaire or heroes. Instead, they live in poverty and face discrimination. This story follows a man (Robbie Amell, The Flash) who is struggling to pay for his mother’s medical treatment. Working as a day laborer, he meets a criminal (Stephen Amell, Arrow) and is recruited to commit a series of crimes. Sung Kang (the Fast and the Furious franchise) joins as the relentless cop who pursues them.

The film is the brainchild of the Amell’s and Chan. They had wanted to work together for a long time and got a tiny taste of it on The Flash. Then, one evening the three decided to do the project themselves. They started an Indiegogo campaign with a goal of $200,000. They finished the 30 days with $1.7 million and 20,201 backers.

Robbie Amell stated in an interview last year that he and Stephen “had met so many incredible fans and that [they] figured [they’d] take a shot at making something with them.” They used the campaign to raise just enough to get the project off the ground, planning to fund the rest by partnering with financiers, production companies, and other people they have talked with.

The trailer was first debuted at Heroes and Villains Fan Fest, a sci-fi convention in Illinois. The film was then released with the campaign to show fans a proof of concept for the project they were going to be buying into.

The ten-minute film is not a scene from the movie. Robbie explains, “[the short] takes place in the same world with the same characters, but it’s a stand-alone. Stephen voiced-over the police drone in the short film, but that is not his role in the movie. That was something fun so he could be a part of it.” (Stephen Amell was unable to partake in the filming due to a schedule conflict.)

Stephen Amell is best known for his role as the Green Arrow on Arrow and appeared in this past summer’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

Robbie Amell can be seen as DeathStorm on The Flash. Previous credits include The Duff and The Tomorrow People.

They plan to begin filming Code 8 in Toronto in May while XYZ is selling the title at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Watch the film and let us know what you think in the comments!