Chronicle (2012)
Where to Watch
- The original script for Chronicle was written over a decade before production finally began in 2012.
- Josh Trank originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- Before Dane DeHaan was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
Chronicle is a 2012 American found-footage science fiction thriller directed by Josh Trank in his feature debut. Three Seattle teenagers โ the troubled, abused Andrew played by Dane DeHaan, his cousin Matt played by Alex Russell, and the popular Steve played by Michael B. Jordan โ discover a mysterious crystalline object in a hole in the ground that grants them telekinetic powers.
As they experiment with their abilities โ flying, moving objects, creating force fields โ Andrew's increasingly unstable mental state and his desire for revenge against the bullies and abusive father who have tormented him transform him from an awkward outsider into a genuinely dangerous threat. Chronicle was a superhero origin story told as a found-footage teen drama, and the combination gave both genres unexpected power. Dane DeHaan's Andrew was a heartbreaking creation โ a kid who finally gets power and uses it the way any damaged, angry teenager realistically would, with catastrophic consequences.
The climactic battle through downtown Seattle was the found-footage genre's most spectacular set piece. Chronicle earned $126 million worldwide on a $12 million budget.
