‘FBI: Most Wanted’ Star Edwin Hodge Discusses Creative Process on New Film ‘Parallel’ (Exclusive)

When he’s not playing FBI Agent Ray Cannon on FBI: Most Wanted, Edwin Hodge is actually producing movies. The actor and his brother, fellow actor Aldis Hodge, run Hodge Brothers Productions. It was the “natural step” for them, Edwin told PopCulture.com. They get more say in the creative process and work with the people they wanted to work with. The first film under the banner will be thriller film Parallel, which not only stars the brothers but they produced and wrote it as well. Also starring Danielle Deadwyler, the film centers on a woman who takes refuge at her family’s lake house after suffering the loss of her child. She’s accompanied by her husband and his brother, but she’s soon attacked by a parallel universe’s version of her.

Edwin Hodge spoke to PopCulture.com about Parallel‘s process and what it was like working on it as not only the star, but as a writer and producer. He shared it was a “new experience all around,” and he and his brother were initially “supposed to jump on as actors.” Hodge continued, “In the evolution of time, we ended up becoming producers and writing on that as well. Once again, from the beginning to end, the process was actually everything that we thought it would be. There’s definitely a lot that you have to take into consideration when you’re in the producer’s role. That is not only making sure that the money is being spent well and correctly and that everything is on time and whatnot, but it’s also being able to communicate with 150, 200 people in your cast and crew.”

“And then what does that take out of you? It does take a lot,” he admitted. “I’ll let you know. It takes a lot. But my brother was there step by step in the writing process. He mostly had the concepts and everything like that. He had the story solid in his head, and I was a guy just writing, trying to create a body for it. And then we had our other co-writer, Jonathan Keasey, who initially found the project. No, it’s just in that position, you’ve got to be a little bit more selfless and thoughtful when it comes to the people you’re working with.”

Writing anything is not easy, and writing a movie is even harder. While coming up with the concept for Parallel, Hodge said he has a “love for horror. I have a love for this genre in general.” However, he didn’t really pull much “inspiration from any other projects.” He explained, “The inspiration came from the original film in South Parallel Forest and wanting to stay on par with what that story was, the tone, the tempo, the pace. We wanted to pay more respect to the film than trying to change it completely. But as far as inspiration, it was just trying to create our own. What does our own perception of horror or storytelling look like?”

He did credit Jordan Peele, who “just kind of knocked down a door for African-Americans or what it may be. And he did it unapologetically. He did it in a way that was undeniable. And so I think that if anything, there’s my inspiration to just go out there and be undeniable. My brother, go out there and be undeniable.”

As for whether the brothers have anything else in the works after Parallel, Edwin Hodge admitted they have four projects that they’re pitching and are hoping to start on something new later this year. “Hodge Brothers Productions is working very, very hard to push out content that will be received by everyone,” Hodge shared. “We really want to connect with a very diverse audience, an audience that no matter what your age, sex, color or creed may be, that you just identify with a story and you identify with the characters and that’s what you fall in love with. So we’re not going anywhere.”

For now, fans will be able to look forward to Parallel and see how the Hodge brothers did as triple-threats. Take a look for yourself when the film releases in theaters on Feb. 23 and on-demand on Feb. 27.