Jessica Alba in a scene from 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.'

LOS ANGELES - Twentieth Century Fox has tapped Josh Trank to spruce up its “Fantastic Four” franchise, a studio spokeswoman told TheWrap.

The 28-year old director made a big splash last spring with his low-budget feature “Chronicle,” a found footage film that tracked three high school students with telekinetic abilities.

Made for a mere $12 million (roughly the cost of the bagel and cream cheese budget on “Rise of the Silver Surfer”), “Chronicle” racked up strong critical reviews - and $126.6 million at the worldwide box office.

It appears that Fox is taking a page from Sony and Warner Bros.’s strategies for Spider-Man and Batman, by taking an up-and-coming director without a lot of big budget experience and allowing him to find the heart in a comic book franchise. The first two “Fantastic Four” movies were financially successful, earning over $600 million globally, but the consensus among many fans and critics was that they were loud and dumb.

The Fantastic Four centers on a super-powered family that routinely saves the world, but also has to grapple with infighting and jealousy. Now it’s up to Trank to discover the spark that makes the group sizzle.

Deadline first reported Trank’s hiring.