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John Landis Says That Fox Isn't Happy With Max Landis' "Amazing" CHRONICLE 2 Screenplay

Max Landis signed up to pen a sequel to Josh Trank's Chronicle earlier this year, but according to the writer's own father, 20th Century Fox aren't too happy with his screenplay. Why? Well, they went more of the same rather than a continuation of the story which kicked off in the first film.

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By Josh Wilding - 10/10/2012

Just when it looked like 20th Century Fox were finally getting their act together (with hits like X-Men: First Class and Rise of the Planet of the Apes), the following piece of news hits. Prolific director, screenwriter, actor, and producer John Landis tells The Playlist that the studio hasn't responded that well to his son Max's screenplay for Chronicle 2. Apparently, "He wrote a sequel, and it’s amazing, and the studio read it and said, 'We want ‘Chronicle’ again!' And he said, 'No, this is the sequel, it’s the evolution, and they said 'No, we want that movie again!' So it’s difficult, we’re dealing with a difficult business.'" So, in other words, they want more of the same rather than the continuation of the story from the first film. Oh dear. Be sure to sound off with your thoughts in the usual place!

Source: The Playlist
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45 Comments
CaptainObvious - 10/10/2012, 3:22 PM
The last time a sequel took no new risks and repeated the same plot and character beats as the first movie, we got The Hangover Part II.
Aero909 - 10/10/2012, 3:29 PM
boo, i want to find out what gave them the powers, fox y u do dis. At least come up with a compromise like maybe the main guy from the first one meets other people with superpowers, and we briefly see how they handle their powers.
DarkGrifter - 10/10/2012, 3:31 PM
I don't know where else they would go with the story without it becoming a rehash of the first movie. I did enjoy the first but I'd rather they take the film in a different direction by focusing on where their powers came from, or something of that nature.
SUPERMAN2013 - 10/10/2012, 3:32 PM
so basicly fox wants a new set of guys who gets powers and repeat the whole process again,rather than follow that one guy at the end?
sKeemAn - 10/10/2012, 3:36 PM
FOX can suck it. I want a continuation
TheGambitFreakIsBatmanOfCBM - 10/10/2012, 3:43 PM
First Class was a hit? Yeah, to people who didn't like the comics or never read 'em. That movie had to be the culmination of CBM Cluster[frick]s.

Anyways, Haven't seen Chronicle, need to though, especially after that video on Superman: Doomsday.
Besides, it's 20th Century Fox, the only movies that succeed with them are those created by people that Fox is scared shitless off *cough* James Cameron *cough*.
ckal - 10/10/2012, 3:44 PM
How do we know 'the evolution' was any good?

Maybe by 'more of the same' and 'we want that (Chronicle) again!' means that want the same things that made that movie a success.


Oh shit, what am I doing? I'm defending Fox??


Nvm [frick] FOX we want evolution!
BattlinMurdock - 10/10/2012, 3:45 PM
Is it just me

or are found footage sequels completely unnecessary to begin with?
GUNSMITH - 10/10/2012, 3:54 PM
IT'S DUMB IDIOTS LIKE FOX THAT JUST LOVE TO SCREW UP ARTISTIC CREATIVITY. YOUR NOT A DIRECTOR YOUR OUR BITCH AND YOU DO WHAT WE SAY YOU SHOULD DO.
GUNSMITH - 10/10/2012, 3:58 PM
I CAN SEE NEW PEOPLE GETTING POWERS AND MAYBE HALFWAY THROUGH, MATT SHOWS UP TO STOP THEM WHO HAS GROWN IN POWER AND HAS MASTERED HIS POWER
souhunter - 10/10/2012, 4:01 PM
[frick] fox!
maxxgone - 10/10/2012, 4:01 PM
thats my biggest pet peeves about sequels. more of the same, rather than an evolution/continuation.

it should surprise anyone that FOX studio heads have their heads straight up their [frick]ing asses?

then again taken 2 was a combination of more of the same and a continuation...in other words it was horrible.
dwaynejohnsonsfromundahcheesepanini - 10/10/2012, 4:02 PM
Wish my dad could've fought for my employment out there in Holly-wood when I was busting ass. :P

@CaptainObvious

That is the first thing that popped into my head: The Hangover 2.

@Ckal

Good theory and I hope you are right!

This sounds bad, really bad! What made Chronicle good was the casting, direction of the story and overall freshness that it breathed into the genre using a tired low budget technique: the camera POV gimmick. The potential for annoying watered down newcomers to fail at aping the original is definitely business related and omnipresent. For the story to progress, it would need a bigger budget and that is of course more risky. However they pump the same or close to the same $ into a rehash and statistically they will make everything back, with a chance to profit and really don't care beyond that. Besides they've been pumping all faculties into their Marvel properties since the success of Avengers. Damn, that sucks, just watched Chronicle a few days ago and it's a nice addition to the great list of 2012.

"..we can't write enough checks for you out here in Hollywood." -Bill Hicks
dwaynejohnsonsfromundahcheesepanini - 10/10/2012, 4:08 PM
@dark grifter

Here's a quick fart; come smell it. Lose the gimmick and follow the lone survivor as new occurrences(more nosebleeds, something new, etc.) affect his power leading him to believe he is not the only person on Earth with alien enhanced super powers: there are so many avenues it can go from there.
ZombieOverEasy - 10/10/2012, 4:23 PM
Dear Fox,

Please take the time this holiday season to remove your collective heads from your rectums.

Sincerely,
ZombieOverEasy
INSTANTJUSTICE - 10/10/2012, 4:23 PM
Max is looking rather special in that photo.
marvel72 - 10/10/2012, 4:24 PM
this is classic fox,its how they work.they did a lotto draw for what mutants should be featured in x-men first class.look how x-men origins wolverine turned out the first pitch probably was weapon-x an adaption of the classic comic from the pages of marvel comics presents by barry windsor smith,but not enough mutants were involved so they flood the movie with mutants that have nothing to do with the history of the character.
OdinsBeard - 10/10/2012, 4:41 PM
before any of you go around calling out fox do you happen to know how many rewrites Chronicle went through? you think the final product was anything like what this douche originally wrote?
mctrinket - 10/10/2012, 4:49 PM
Not a good movie. Yawnfest, found footage, derivative, go-rent-Akira-and-you'll-be-better-off, nepotism-is-bad.
masterhater - 10/10/2012, 4:51 PM
I WANT A CONTINUATION!!!!!
gurugeorge - 10/10/2012, 4:53 PM
Nooooooo, please ffs Fox don't screw this up. THE FANS WANT A CONTINUATION NOT A BLOODY REPEAT.

It's the most godawful worst thing about Hollywood, the number of times it just repeats successful tropes till the public gets sick, and a perfectly good franchise that could have run for a long time as an evolving series runs into the ground.
SpideyQuad - 10/10/2012, 4:53 PM
Is it a prerequisite to have no imagination if you work for Fox? Or is it just the evil thing
DeadManDann - 10/10/2012, 5:03 PM
People, we're only getting one side to this story-- a pretty vague and biased one, even. None of you have read the script, so you can't be whining. What if it was too much of a departure of what made the first one good in the first place? We just don't know the true details.
Illcommunicatione - 10/10/2012, 5:16 PM
Not sure it's gonna work anyway...

Is it gonna be all done on hand helds again? as someone said above, found footage sequels do not usually work.
HarrisonBergeron - 10/10/2012, 5:29 PM
If you think that being a "found footage" film is a reason that the movie should not get a sequel, then you were not paying attention to the movie, and thus it is hard to take your opinion seriously.

Chronicle was a "found footage" film by Hollywood lingo only, nothing about the story had anything to do with found footage, it was actually the opposite in some cases. The movie was filmed from the perspective of pre-existing cameras instead of an omniscient perspective, just an artistic idea to add some depth to the movie.
Ranger14 - 10/10/2012, 6:37 PM
I know a lot of people here liked the first one, but I fell asleep trying to watch it. If the second is like the first one, I know how I feel about it.
Jimdlux - 10/10/2012, 7:16 PM
Make the sequel in movie format instead of documentary format and follow a new set of kids just like the 1st, but do it in half the time except they all go bad and have the 1st kid from the original film show up to stop them and they have free for all...oh wait...that sounds like Superman 2...YEAH! DO THAT!!!!
RaleighAntrobus - 10/10/2012, 7:27 PM
AND PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT MARK MILLAR BEING THEIR "CREATIVE CONSULTANT"?

They will NEVER make a great CBM!
fettastic - 10/10/2012, 7:58 PM
I don't see how you do that movie again with the same characters. It ended up in an EXTREMELY different place than it started.
BlueDemon - 10/10/2012, 8:03 PM
[frick] FOX! Worst company EVER!
SmellofDuty - 10/10/2012, 8:05 PM
I ,along with many other fans, will be really dissapointed if it doesn't happen to be a continuation. The same story with new people would be a waste of money. I want Matt, and maybe (through their powers) the other two back. Please, FFFFFFFFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXX!
Bandrews1 - 10/10/2012, 8:17 PM
Another example of Hollywood being ran by a bunch of idiots, smh.
SuspenseSmith - 10/10/2012, 10:07 PM
No! This can't be [frick]ing Paranormal Activity 2 with superheroes!

The found footage was fine for setting it up, but it needs to get dropped at this point.

The story needs to evolve. Matt needs to delve into the origin of the powers. Another set of superhumans needs to be introduced. The mythos needs to be expanded.

No repeats. The first one did what it needed to do due to budget and limits. But now that it's a success, it doesn't need the gimmicks from the first movie to cover up the lack of money.
Alaba - 10/10/2012, 10:31 PM
Funny, I kinda see what Fox is trying to do here. My take on the new screenplay is that it won't be a found footage movie. Landis probably decides to make a regular movie to explore the surviving character and make him into a full on super hero with costume and also finding more about the source of the powers. They probably fear it will go down as another regular super hero movie and they want something different. They want to retain the magic and originality of the first film. I say use new kids to stumble on power source as before, let the explore their powers like in the first film but this time discover more about the source and what its all about. I.e, a set of new kids but more of the powers origins. Then in a 3rd, they can repeat the formula and explore even more. There's no point expanding the first film. It was great where it ended and needs no sequel. Just my thoughts...
whoa123 - 10/10/2012, 10:36 PM
Oh come one bring on the evolution FOX!
TheAbomination - 10/10/2012, 10:47 PM
One more reason to hate Fox.
White - 10/11/2012, 1:38 AM
Not again Fox... Not again...
plok - 10/11/2012, 3:24 AM
I'd love to see any movie that prick Grif has ever produced.
And Landis (who is also a prick) looks like he needs changing in that header pic.
hellfire - 10/11/2012, 3:34 AM
[frick] it! just call it a reboot then!!!
PerlaB4 - 10/11/2012, 3:51 AM
Fox needs to stop doing shit their way and let the writer do what the hell he wants. I already hate fox for screwing with fantastic four, x-men, and daredevil. They seriously need to back off. Because the writers, directors and the other people involved with movies know what they're doing. Fox is known for doing a lot of rubbish films and if chronicle 2 turns out shit I'm making sure the blame goes to them.
SuperSomething616 - 10/11/2012, 3:52 AM
FCUK YOU FOX! You screw up everything you touch...DICKS!!!
superpooper - 10/11/2012, 7:22 AM
I don't like too many people but I like Max Landis. He seems like someone I'd hang out with. I like what he's done so far and would like to see someone with his obvious passion for comics contribute more to television and films. My advice would be to bend a little, but not to the point of compromising your own integrity. He may have some "[frick] you" money at this point but he really needs to establish a bigger foothold in the industry if he's going to get to make the big films. I'd say play ball and get a few good movies out there. No one will fault you for it. Or tell them to [frick] off. Whatever. I don't give a shit :)
StSharp - 10/11/2012, 8:41 AM
Thats lame! I really would rather see a continuation. I want Harry Potter, not Paranormal Activity...
SUPERBATSPIDERMAN - 10/11/2012, 3:05 PM
I thought Chronicle was very well done and I want to see an expansion of the story not the same thing over again. They need to explain what caused them to get powers if it is alien or what not. I think it should be an alien race that is trying to test what humans would do if they were given amazing powers or something.
OdinsBeard - 10/11/2012, 5:28 PM
i having a hard time understanding why people are mad about this. they gave you the first movie...

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