2012 (film)

2012 is a 2009 American disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Emmerich and Harald Kloser, and starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandiwe Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson. Based on the 2012 phenomenon, its plot follows numerous characters, including novelist Jackson Curtis (Cusack) and geologist Adrian Helmsley (Ejiofor), as they struggle to survive an eschatological sequence of events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and megatsunamis. Filming began in Vancouver in August 2008 and wrapped two months later. An extensive marketing campaign was launched for the film, which included the creation of a website from its main characters' point of view, and a viral marketing website on which filmgoers could register for a lottery number to save them from the ensuing disaster. 2012 was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on November 13, 2009. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing $791.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $200 million, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 2009. The film was nominated for Best Action, Adventure, or Thriller Film and Best Special Effects at the 36th Saturn Awards, and for Best Visual Effects at the 15th Critics' Choice Awards.