Didn't Kinberg say that reshoots are going on with Trank at the helm? If so, what's he still doing there if he has been fired? Why is he still allowed to direct instead of getting someone else in to fix what has essentially become Chronicle 2?
With Trank directing, he might do these reshoots in a different way now, but it could still come out as a different version of Chronicle 2 as opposed to his original version of Chronicle 2. Wouldn't the movie need a massive script overhaul to be something different? But then it might not even match the existing script unless they simply don't care if it looks cobbled together.
I'll preface this by saying this is just a guess and some
wild speculation based on what we're seeing, but this is roughly what I expect is going on:
Trank and Fox have not been seeing eye to eye from the start. That resulted in Fox wanting to replace Trank and when that story broke and Trank became emasculated by it, a bad relationship turned toxic.
Trank's idea for a an intense film in which these powers are an illness (which in Ben's case actually has been a key element of the FF) would make an interesting and unique film, but not a good FF film.
As internet outrage grew, Fox executives realized they were making a film that none of us wanted, and they've been pushing Trank to make this more of a light-hearted film more like Marvel efforts (as Matthew Vaughn recently said film-goers wanted).
But Trank pushed forward with his film, frustrated by studio interference and Simon Kinberg (as a studio rep) looking over his shoulder the whole way. That led to a very unpleasant production experience, and Trank became obstinate and non-cooperative - forcing the studio to have others fill in. That led to the reports that Trank was showing up late and/or high. And maybe Trank was doing some drinking etc. along the way, but if so, I suspect that had something to do with broader events. If he felt happy and empowered and able to make the film he wanted, he would have poured himself into his work.
There may have been some damage to the house, but I suspect that became a bigger issue because of the conflict than it would have been otherwise. Fox used that as an excuse to marginalize Trank. They told him they were taking over and they would have assistant directors finish the primary responsibilities of getting this thing put together.
They had enough on Trank (with the house etc.) that they could 'fire' him, but that would look bad for him and them and it would be better for everyone all around if he would stay on in a symbolic role.
At that point, they had a rough cut of a 'grounded gritty' film that was probably actually sort of interesting, but Fox realized it wasn't the kind of thing that would interest people like us and give them the blockbuster Marvel type box-office.
Now they've been working furiously to 'fix' the film with a big, visually-noisy CGI ending that they think dumb audiences want (somebody must believe that because we see those things all the time).
The result is that we're likely to get a film that's sort of interesting (though not what we want from the Fantastic Four) through the first two acts and then an incomprehensible battle at the end.
Again, that's some
wild speculation, but I think it fits everything we've seen and know.
