20th Century Studios is Still Developing Chronicle 2

UPDATE: Variety’s Adam B. Vary is reporting that talk of Chronicle 2 is premature:

The original story is below:

The found-footage genre was getting pretty stale by the time Chronicle hit theaters. But when the movie premiered in early 2012, it vastly exceeded expectations. It also earned top marks from critics and made Josh Trank the youngest director to open a film at number one at the box office. There were rumblings about a sequel for years that seemed to die out. But according to producer John Davis, there’s still hope for a Chronicle 2.

Davis shared this news during a recent interview with Forbes. Citing Chronicle’s overwhelming financial performance (it grossed north of $126 million against a $12 million budget) along with its success in syndication, he called the film “the best return on investment, any of [his] movies ever made.” However, it sounds like the sequel will have a different angle.

“We’re going to tell it from the female point of view,” said Davis. “It will have been ten years since the event happened in Seattle, and a lot of it’s going to deal with fake news and real news and cover-ups. More interestingly, it’s the next generation getting these powers that are corruptive. These are young women just finishing college, they are empowered, and this is their journey. I mean, what a new and interesting story you can tell there.”

RELATED: Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four Movie is Now on Disney+

Chronicle centered on three teenagers who discover a crystal structure in an underground cave and emerge with telekinetic superpowers, which also enable them to fly. Although their newfound abilities provide a source of amusement at first, things take a hard left turn when one of them loses his grip on his sanity. Because of this, many critics have compared it to similar films like Akira and Carrie.

The success of the original movie helped launch the careers of its three young stars, including Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan. It also hinted at big things ahead for the players behind the scenes. But unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case. Trank went on to direct 20th Century’s ill-fated Fantastic Four reboot, whose critical and commercial failures prompted him to take a five-year sabbatical from the industry.

Trank returned to filmmaking last year with a Capone biopic starring Tom Hardy, which also received mixed reviews. And in a profile published by Polygon last year, Trank confessed he had no desire to return for Chronicle 2. Meanwhile, Chronicle screenwriter Max Landis has since been accused of sexual assault by eight different women. He currently has no direct connection to the sequel.

What would you like to see from a Chronicle sequel? Tell us your ideas in the comment section below!

Recommended Viewing: Chronicle (Blu-ray + DVD)