'Chronicle' Promotion Goes Viral With 'Flying People' in New York City (Video)

20th Century Fox

Low budget superhero flick Chronicle opens this weekend without much fanfare, save for a few “flying people” generating buzz over New York City streets.

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The 20th Century Fox film, which shot in South Africa for approximately $12 million, centers on a group of teenagers who develop superpowers – including the gift of flight – and their struggle to find the balance between good and evil.

Ahead of the film’s Feb. 3 release, Fox launched a grassroots marketing strategy by sending human shaped RC planes into the New York City air, giving the illusion of flying teens and making bystanders do a double-take. At the time of publication, a video on YouTube of the stunt had generated more than 5 million hits and caught the attention of the Today Show, Early Today, Bloomberg News, LA Times, ABC, NBC, KTLA and local news outlets nationwide.

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The film is directed by first time helmer Joshua Trank and stars Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly and Ashley Hinshaw. Chronicle, described by The Hollywood Reporter film reviewer Todd McCarthy as “a clever twist on superpowers and hand-held filmmaking that stumbles before the finish line,” is expected to bring in around $8 million on a shortened Super Bowl weekend.