Asian-Australian actress and filmmaker Maria Tran is gearing up with post-production on the back-to-back sequels of her 2022 action adventure, Echo 8. Filming on the upcoming installments, Echo 8: Five By Five and Echo 8: Beyond wrapped last month with a cast that reunites Tran with co-star and production cohort Takashi Hara, and screenwriter Elizabeth H. Vu.
“With just a $50,000 budget and over 200 cast and crew members, we shot across 20+ amazing locations in Western Sydney,” said Tran in a press statement. “It’s been a huge team effort, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
Invariably, the films will also reintroduce a new cast of characters (TBA) that culminate the indie sci-fi action saga starring Tran as a rogue assassin following the events of the first film; The inaugural Echo 8 sees our hero rebuff her own organization after being assigned to target a mysterious woman connected to her past. Tran and Hara will reprise their roles in Echo 8: Five-By-Five, spotlighting Hara’s antagonistic role as Agent 5 in a story that chronicles his grief-stricken existence and his gradual spiral into chaos while climbing the organization’s hierarchy. The finale, Echo 8: Beyond, brings Tran’s character back into focus as she fends off members of her former organization while protecting her mother from a distance.
The two sequels hail from Tran and Hara’s Phoenix Eye independent production banner, which also shares credits on a number of inspired independent shortfilms, including Hong Kong action tributary series Tiger Cop from director Adrian Castro. Its latest, “Tiger Cop: Project A,” saw Tran taking on martial arts screen legend Richard Norton who passed away on March 29.
Production on Five By Five and Beyond is launching crowdfunding in May to help fund the final stages of production and distribution, with plans to kick off private screenings in December ahead of releases in 2026. Check out a special highlight reel of the production in the player below, along with a gallery of set stills just beneath.
