Rainn Wilson and Lil Rel Howery will play paramedics on the brink in new buddy comedy
Lil Rey Howery and Rain Wilson are set to star in Code 3, which follows two burnt-out EMTs through an exhilarating 24-hour shift
With the rom-com renaissance in full swing, is it time for a buddy comedy romance as well? A new film from Parallels director Christopher Leone and independent production company Wayfarer Studios seems ready to beg the question. In Code 3, which begins production in Los Angeles next month, Rainn Wilson and Lil Rel Howery star as two paramedics at the end of their rope navigating an exhilarating 24-hour shift. In addition to directing, Leone also wrote the script with an invaluable partner: former paramedic Patrick Pianezza.
In the film, (which Howery and Wilson have also signed on to executive produce) they play two EMTs sick of the long hours, sparse checks, and general drudgery of their lives. One of them is so fed up that he’s passing his job on to a replacement—but not before a 24-hour training shift. For now, the plot details stop there, but it seems inevitable some hijinks will ensue.
“CODE 3 is a fresh buddy action comedy from Patrick and Christopher that will take the audience on an introspective journey. It demonstrates how our interactions with strangers can have profound impact,” says Jamey Heath, president of Wayfarer Studios, per Deadline. “We are beyond excited for this film and the fact that Rainn and Lil Rel are on board is fantastic. The two will inject humor and levity into this provocative story.”
Beyond Code 3, Wilson and Howery also have another comedy together coming out: the Tony Goldwyn-directed Inappropriate Behavior. The family dramedy, which was first announced last May, also reunites another veteran onscreen duo: Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro, who last acted together in Martin Scorcese’s organized crime epic The Irishman.