Chronicle producer says a female-led sequel is in the works 'right now'

Chronicle, the sci-fi film about a group of teenagers who discovers a mysterious crystal that unexpectedly grants them superpowers, was one of the biggest genre film surprises of 2012. Blending a found footage aesthetic with superhero (and supervillain) themes and wrapping it all up in a coming-of-age story, the film was a breakthrough for just about everyone involved, including stars Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan. It was also a huge moneymaker for producers, something John Davis has not forgotten.

In a new interview with Forbes, Davis -- who produced Chronicle through his Davis Entertainment banner a decade ago -- was asked if he'd ever consider returning to that very specific superhero world. Davis responded by calling the film "the best return on investment of any of his films," and confirmed that a Chronicle sequel is in the works.

"Chronicle we did for $12 million, and it grossed $126.64 million worldwide. Then it had a huge afterlife in syndication. It’s one of the most financially successful movies in my stable," David said. "We’re working on Chronicle 2 right now, and I think it’s going to be great. We’re working on it at Fox (20th Century Studios). It’s going to give us a chance to tell the story in a different way."

Davis didn't elaborate on who's involved in developing the sequel at this point, or how far along it is, but he did shed some light on the "different way" the story will be told. For one thing, we can expect the film to take advantage of the decade-long gap between films. For another, we can expect young women to take the lead.

"We’re going to tell it from the female point of view. It will have been 10 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," Davis said. "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."

By the end of Chronicle, most of the major characters are dead, so it makes sense to pick up with the story of different major players for a sequel. It also makes sense to talk about the "next generation" in a franchise where the concept makes sweeping the first film's events under the rug very easy, particularly in an age of deepfakes and internet misinformation. It's also, of course, very interesting that the focus of the next film will be young women, though it's not clear yet exactly what direction that sense of empowerment might take them. It didn't end well for the first group of kids, as you may remember.

There's no word yet on when a Chronicle sequel might be released, or even if it will get beyond the development phase, but if you're eager for more from that world, Davis has apparently heard your pleas, and is working on answering them.