Max Landis, the screenwriter for the surprise critical and box office hit Chronicle is hard at work on a sequel. The trouble is, he might've written it too well. His father, famed director John Landis, said this about working with the Fox executives:

[Max] 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.

If what Papa Landis says is true, this a truly frustrating inside look at movie studio logic. Of course, we didn't need that statement to believe that carbon copies sell tickets -- there's always The Hangover 2, Paranormal Activity, Saw, etc.

No word yet on Landis' next move.

Sigh. Another series of non-Marvel Studios cash grabs reboots that will probably suck.

With Sony's Amazing Spider-Man printing money at the box office, Twentieth Century Fox wants a piece of the action with the Marvel licenses they've destroyed: Daredevil and The Fantastic Four.

With Chronicle director Josh Trank signed on for Fantastic Four, it could actually wind up being good -- but Fox has scorned fans and beloved creators before. Never forget.

[clevvermovies]

Fox has signed Chronicle screenwriter Max Landis to write a follow-up to the sci-fi superhero movie, which has grossed $105 million since opening last month. The first film was made on a budget of only $12 million.

Chronicle stars Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan as teenagers who gain superpowers and have to deal with the consequences that ensue when one of them turns to the dark side.

There's no word on whether any of the three stars, or co-writer and director Josh Trank, will return for the sequel.

[deadline]