Market Charts > 2012 > Genres > Action

Box Office Performance for Action Movies in 2012

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RankMovieRelease
Date		 Theatrical
Distributor		MPAA
Rating		2012 GrossTickets Sold
1 The Avengers May 4, 2012 Walt Disney PG-13 $623,357,910 78,311,295
2 The Dark Knight Rises Jul 20, 2012 Warner Bros. PG-13 $448,139,099 56,298,881
3 Skyfall Nov 8, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $296,804,366 37,286,980
4 Men in Black 3 May 25, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $179,020,854 22,490,057
5 The Expendables 2 Aug 17, 2012 Lionsgate R $85,028,192 10,681,933
6 Act of Valor Feb 24, 2012 Relativity R $70,012,847 8,795,583
7 Mission: Impossible—Ghost P… Dec 16, 2011 Paramount Pictures PG-13 $68,211,257 8,569,253
8 Contraband Jan 13, 2012 Universal R $66,528,000 8,357,788
9 Looper Sep 28, 2012 Sony Pictures R $66,486,205 8,352,538
10 Battleship May 18, 2012 Universal PG-13 $65,233,400 8,195,150
11 Underworld: Awakening Jan 20, 2012 Sony Pictures R $62,321,039 7,829,276
12 Total Recall Aug 3, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $58,877,969 7,396,729
13 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Veng… Feb 17, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $51,774,002 6,504,271
14 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of … Dec 16, 2011 Warner Bros. PG-13 $49,938,199 6,273,643
15 Red Tails Jan 20, 2012 20th Century Fox PG-13 $49,876,377 6,265,876
16 Red Dawn Nov 21, 2012 Open Road PG-13 $43,877,043 5,512,191
17 Safe Apr 27, 2012 Lionsgate R $17,142,080 2,153,527
18 The Man with the Iron Fists Nov 2, 2012 Universal R $15,634,090 1,964,081
19 Dredd Sep 21, 2012 Lionsgate R $13,414,714 1,685,265
20 The Darkest Hour Dec 25, 2011 Summit Entertainment PG-13 $8,305,531 1,043,408
21 Serbuan maut Mar 23, 2012 Sony Pictures Cla… R $4,105,123 515,718
22 Agneepath Jan 6, 2012 Eros Entertainment Not Rated $1,973,574 247,936
23 Real Steel Oct 7, 2011 Walt Disney PG-13 $970,068 121,867
24 Immortals Nov 11, 2011 Relativity R $847,018 106,409
25 Dodookdeul Oct 12, 2012 Well Go USA Not Rated $532,699 66,921
26 Don 2 Dec 22, 2011 Reliance Big Pict… Not Rated $500,054 62,820
27 Seeking Justice Mar 16, 2012 Anchor Bay Entert… R $411,746 51,726
28 Stolen Sep 14, 2012 Alchemy R $289,773 36,403
29 Drive Sep 16, 2011 FilmDistrict R $227,642 28,598
30 Thaandavam Sep 28, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $213,476 26,818
31 Tai Chi Zero Oct 19, 2012 Variance Films PG-13 $212,094 26,644
32 Vettai Jan 13, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $202,581 25,449
33 Long men fei jia Aug 31, 2012 Indomina Releasing R $170,276 21,391
34 Mugamoodi Aug 31, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $101,911 12,802
35 Paan Singh Tomar Mar 2, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $40,311 5,064
36 Hua Pi 2 Aug 17, 2012 Well Go USA Not Rated $33,212 4,172
37 Sacrifice Apr 26, 2011 Alchemy R $27,899 3,504
38 Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimigo… Nov 11, 2011 Variance Films Not Rated $14,616 1,836
39 Wu Xia Nov 30, 2012 Weinstein Co. R $11,300 1,419
40 Total Recall Jun 1, 1990 Sony Pictures R $11,299 1,419
41 Forces spéciales Oct 12, 2012 Entertainment One R $10,759 1,351
42 Arjun The Warrior Prince Jan 31, 2011 UTV Communications Not Rated $10,017 1,258
43 BRO' Jun 22, 2012 R $9,329 1,171
44 Universal Soldier: Day of R… Nov 30, 2012 Magnet Pictures R $5,460 685
45 Tomorrow When the War Began Feb 24, 2012 Freestyle Releasing R $4,936 620
46 The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch Nov 18, 2011 Music Box Films Not Rated $2,333 293
47 Ta-weo Dec 31, 2012 Not Rated $726 91
Total Gross of All Movies$2,350,923,406
Total Tickets Sold295,342,110

Note: This chart ranks movies by the amount they earned during 2012. It includes movies released in previous years that earned money during 2012. For example, a movie released over Thanksgiving in 2010 will most likely earn money in 2010 and 2011. Click on the individual movie to see its total gross over all the years in which it played.

Inflation-adjusted figures are based ticket sale estimates, and may not be precise due to rounding errors.

Our Theatrical Market pages are based on the Domestic Theatrical Market performance only. The Domestic Market is defined as the North American movie territory (consisting of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam).

The yearly amounts on our Theatrical Market pages are based on box office years. Each box office year starts on the first Monday of the year, so the previous year ends on the Sunday before the first Monday. For example, the "2017 box office year" started on January 2, 2017 so the "2016 box office year" ended on Sunday, January 1, 2017.