Canada's 'Code 8 Part II' beat out Adam Sandler film for top Netflix movie of the weekend
"I just want to honour the fans, because they have cared," Stephen Amell said
Canadian movie Code 8 Part II, starring cousins Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell, surpassed Adam Sandler's new film Spaceman on Netflix over the weekend.
Where to watch Code 8: Part II: Netflix
Director: Jeff Chan
Writers: Chris Paré, Jeff Chan, Sherren Lee, Jesse Lavercombe
Cast: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Alex Mallari Jr., Sirena Gulamgaus, Sammy Azero
The first Code 8 (currently the third most popular movie on Netflix in Canada) started as a short film and was transformed into a feature film after significant support from fans, raising US$2.5 million in crowdfunding.
"[Fans] were a big reason why we made Part One, they were a huge reason why Part One was as big as it was, let's just try and deliver the best movie possible and not ask them for anything, and then just be able to share it with them," Robbie Amell told Yahoo Canada about making the second film after the extensive fan support.
"I'm super proud of the first movie, but I think we learned a lot from making it. It was a movie based off a short film. It was hard. It was our first time doing it, I think we got a lot better. I think Part Two is a better movie."
In a separate interview, Stephen Amell said that the fandom around Code 8 feels "great," and he echoed his cousin's comments that the fans are taken into consideration in every decision made about the movie.
"We made a movie that we would want to see, so when we're thinking about how to do a scene, first you want to do it best, second you want to make sure that it connects to the story and make sense, because fans care about that too," he said. "Third, and maybe most importantly, it's like, is this cool? Are people going to enjoy this?"
"I'll tell you, anything that kind of comes to mind knowing that there's such a massive fan following for this, for both these films, honestly, at the end of the day, I just want to honour the fans, because they have cared. They made the first one happen, and I was fortunate enough to be in it, and they were loud enough for Netflix to say, OK we are going to give you what you want. So shout out to Netflix for that."
'Code 8 takes place in this grey area'
In Code 8 Part II Connor (Robbie Amell) has coming out of prison, working as a janitor, trying to stay away from Garrett's criminal (Stephen Amell) activity. That's until he meets 14-year-old Pavani "Pav" (Sirena Gulamgaus), who needs to stay away from Sergeant "King" Kingston (Alex Mallari Jr.) and the police force.
"Her being so strong willed was really cool to see," Sirena Gulamgaus said. "I think playing that character, it's cool to see [what] it's like to ... step in someone else's shoes."
"When I'm on set I try to keep it very real, but then I also have a problem of, I have to keep my energy up and push for it, especially with the scenes that are so intense. I was always worried, am I doing enough? Because I just feel like I'm always doing less, but I also don't want to do too much."
This film also marks a significant shift in Alex Mallari Jr.'s character, playing a much larger role in the story, compared to the first film.
"Any more time that I get to spend with Robbie and Stephen, to learn from them and just ... act with them, it is fun," Mallari Jr. said.
"When the product is out, I get nervous. ... I'm just hoping I didn't ruin it."
Generally speaking, Stephen Amell is pleased that Code 8 Part II really builds on the dynamic between Connor and Garrett.
"It says a lot about [director Jeff Chan] that we took some of our extra time, and some of the extra money that we had, and we didn't just invest into new special effects or new powers, but we really invested more into learning about these characters," he said.
"Because it has to be about the relationship, you have to care about the characters, and then the VFX and all that stuff needs to be incidental."
"I also liked that Code 8 takes place in this grey area," Robbie Amell said in a separate interview. "It's not black and white, people make decisions and some people will agree with them, and some people won't."
"I think that's life. Life is about perspective and it shifts, and it changes, and I just think it feels very real."
