In 2011, Trank directed his first feature film, Chronicle. It was released on February 3, 2012 by 20th Century Fox and has grossed over $125 million worldwide. Chronicle, made for a budget of $12 million, was received positively by critics, earning an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes. With Chronicle released at the age of 27, Trank became the youngest Director to open a film at number one at the US box office. He is followed by Steven Spielberg (28, with Jaws) and James Cameron (30, with The Terminator). After the release of Chronicle, Trank was linked to Sony's Spider-Man spin-off, Venom, Warner Bros.'s The Red Star, and Sony's film adaptation of the video game Shadow of the Colossus; however, Trank turned down those film projects.