Most Popular Movies 2012

This chart shows the 2012 movie releases that have attracted the most interest on The Numbers web site over the past 24 hours. A share of 100 corresponds to 1 percent of the total views for all 2012 releases.

See also: Domestic Release Schedule for 2012 - Top 2012 Worldwide

← 2011 Most Popular Overall 2013 →
  1
Marvel's The Avengers poster
The Avengers
Director: Joss Whedon
Lead Roles: Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / The Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Initial Theatrical Release: April 25, 2012 (Wide) (Australia)
Keywords: Marvel Comics, 3-D, Gods and Goddesses, Mutants, Visual Effects, Special Ops, Alien Invasion, Revenge, Franchise Crossover, Non-Chronological, Ensemble, Gratuitous Cameos, Epilogue, Scene in End Credits, IMAX: DMR, Sequel With Lead Character Recast, Good vs. Evil, Faked Death, Mind Control, Motion Capture Performance, 3-D - Post-production Conversion, Filmed in United States, Filmed in New York, United States, Filmed in New York, NY, Filmed in Central Park, New York, NY, Filmed in Park Avenue, New York, NY, Filmed in Manhattan, New York, NY, Filmed in Albuquerque Studios, Albuquerque, NM, Filmed in Albuquerque, NM, Filmed in New Mexico, United States, Filmed in Creekside Mushroom Farms, Worthington, PA, Filmed in Worthington, PA, Filmed in Pennsylvania, United States, Filmed in 9th Street, Cleveland, OH, Filmed in Cleveland, OH, Filmed in Ohio, United States, Filmed in NASA Plum Brook Station, Sandusky, OH, Filmed in Sandusky, OH, Filmed in Chevrolet powertrain plant, Parma, OH, Filmed in Parma, OH, Filmed in Detroit-Superior Bridge, Cleveland, OH, Filmed in Public Square, Cleveland, OH, Action Adventure
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Animation/Live Action, Super Hero
Domestic BO:
$623,357,910
International BO:
$891,742,301

Synopsis

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

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  2
The Dark Knight Rises poster
Domestic BO:
$448,139,099
International BO:
$634,089,008

Synopsis

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

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  3
Les Miserables poster
Domestic BO:
$149,260,140
International BO:
$286,032,312

Synopsis

Les Misérables tells a story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption - a testament to the survival of the human spirit.

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  4
Skyfall poster
Skyfall
Director: Sam Mendes
Lead Roles: Daniel Craig as James Bond, Javier Bardem as Silva
Initial Theatrical Release: October 26, 2012 (Wide) (Brazil)
Keywords: IMAX: DMR, Secret Agent, Surprise Twist, Faked Death, Development Hell, Delayed Sequel, Prologue, Intertitle, Action Thriller
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$304,360,277
International BO:
$806,166,704

Synopsis

Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost

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  5
Dredd poster
Dredd
Director: Pete Travis
Lead Roles: Karl Urban as Judge Dredd
Initial Theatrical Release: September 7, 2012 (Wide) (United Kingdom)
Keywords: 3-D, Post Apocalypse, Dystopia, Narcotics, Gangs, Organized Crime, Independent/Other Comics, Psychics, 3-D - Shot in 3-D, Action Thriller
Classification: Based on Comic/Graphic Novel, Action, Live Action, Science Fiction
Domestic BO:
$13,414,714
International BO:
$28,052,892

Synopsis

The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One- a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge - a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of "Slo-Mo" experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed. During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson, a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture- a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan's inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound's control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.

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  6
Man on a Ledge poster
Man on a Ledge
Director: Asger Leth
Lead Roles: Sam Worthington as Nick Cassidy, Elizabeth Banks as Lydia Mercer, Jamie Bell as Joey Cassidy, Anthony Mackie as Mike Ackerman, Edward Burns as Jack Dougherty, Kyra Sedgwick as Suzie Morales, Ed Harris as David Englander
Initial Theatrical Release: January 27, 2012 (Wide) by Lionsgate
Keywords: Revenge, Heist, Suicide, Framed, News, Action Thriller, Set in New York City, Set in New York, NYPD, Police Detective, Wrongfully Convicted, False Identity, Corrupt Cops
Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$18,620,000
International BO:
$31,001,440

Synopsis

Nick Cassidy makes a desperate and life-threatening move to prove his innocence after he is framed for the theft of a rare, prized diamond. Recently escaped from prison and with nowhere else to go, Nick climbs onto the ledge of a towering skyscraper, inviting the eyes of New York City to anxiously watch as one wrong step could mean plunging to his death. But as one police negotiator soon learns, Nick’s daredevil stunt, captivating the eyes of the public and media, masks a dangerous ploy to reveal the truth about his tarnished name. With the help of his brother and with time running out, Nick’s intricate plan must work perfectly, but when you’re on the 25th floor ledge of a building, going down takes on an entirely more hair-raising meaning.

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  7
Ted poster
Domestic BO:
$218,665,740
International BO:
$337,350,887

Synopsis

TED tells the story of John Bennett, a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish...and has refused to leave his side ever since

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  8
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey poster
Domestic BO:
$303,003,568
International BO:
$711,934,977

Synopsis

Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome Dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild, through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and sinister figure known only as the Necromancer. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the Goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever...Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

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  9
Beware of Mr. Baker poster
Domestic BO:
$116,476

Synopsis

Born in South East London the same week the Nazis began bombing, Ginger Baker’s first memory was running after a train that carried his father off to death in WWII. From his music to his life, at the expense of family and fortune, Ginger would never be left behind on the tracks again. Though best known for his work with Eric Clapton in Cream and Blind Faith, the world’s greatest drummer did not hit his stride until years later in 1972 when he drove the first Range Rover ever produced from London to Nigeria in pursuit of the African rhythms and musical icon, Fela Kuti. There he found his Mecca of drumming, introducing the African beat and “world music” to the West, years before any other musicians in the field. Unfortunately, Ginger’s African glory days were short-lived as he found himself looking down the barrel of a Nigerian officer’s machine gun. Signaling his departure from the continent and the loss of his fortune, Ginger returned to England where a pattern of divorces, self-destruction, and countless groundbreaking musical works continue on to Italy, California, Colorado, and current day South Africa where he lives inside a fortified compound with his 29-year-old internet bride and 39 polo ponies.

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10
The Central Park Five poster
Domestic BO:
$325,653

Synopsis

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE is the story of the five young men who were wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape of a jogger in Central Park. It examines how the legal system's rush to judgment - fueled by a city racially divided and fearful of crime - resulted in false confessions and no reassessment of the charges as conflicting evidence came in. This left a brutal rapist on the streets and robbed five innocent kids of their youth, all of whom served out their full terms. District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, after directing a thorough re-investigation when the actual rapist came forward and confessed, and realizing his office's mistakes, joined with the defense to request that the convictions be vacated, which was instantly granted by Judge Charles Tejada. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE tells the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories, an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

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11
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2 poster
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2
Director: Bill Condon
Lead Roles: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
Initial Theatrical Release: November 14, 2012 (Wide) (Belgium)
Keywords: Vampire, Werewolf, Falsely Accused, Revenge, IMAX: DMR, Romantic Drama, Young Adult Book Adaptation
Classification: Based on Fiction Book/Short Story, Drama, Live Action, Fantasy
Domestic BO:
$292,324,737
International BO:
$537,400,000

Synopsis

Bella awakens transformed—she is now a mother and finally… a vampire. While her husband Edward delights in her beauty, speed, and uncommon self-control, newborn Bella has never felt more alive; and the destiny of her best friend Jacob Black has become entwined in that of their exceptional daughter Renesmee. The arrival of a creature so rare cements an extended family, but will soon ignite forces that threaten to destroy.

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12
Prometheus poster
Prometheus
Director: Ridley Scott
Lead Roles: Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw
Initial Theatrical Release: May 30, 2012 (Wide) (Belgium)
Keywords: 3-D, Robot, Corporate Malfeasance, Alien Invasion, Prequel, Delayed Sequel, Surprise Twist, IMAX: DMR, Prologue, Intertitle, Faked Death, Survival Thriller
Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Science Fiction
Domestic BO:
$126,477,084
International BO:
$275,971,181

Synopsis

A team of explorers discovers a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

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13
Django Unchained poster
Domestic BO:
$162,805,434
International BO:
$287,036,132

Synopsis

Django is a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles - dead or alive. Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South's most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda, the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

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14
Doctor Seuss' The Lorax poster
Domestic BO:
$214,151,550
International BO:
$136,946,253

Synopsis

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is a 3D-CG adaptation of the classic tale of a forest guardian who shares the enduring power of hope. The animated adventure follows the journey of a 12-year-old as he searches for a real Truffula Tree, the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To get it he must find the story of the Lorax, the acerbic yet charming character who fights to protect his world.

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15
Tooth Fairy 2
Lead Roles: Dan Whitney as Larry Guthrie
Video Release Date: March 6, 2012 by Fox Home Entertainment
Classification: Original Screenplay, Adventure, Live Action, Fantasy

Synopsis

Larry Guthrie is a fun-loving dreamer with a serious mission: win back the love of his life before she makes a terrible mistake and marries the wrong man! In his attempt to get back on his long lost love’s good side, Larry visits the school where she works and make’s a horrible mistake… He accidentally tells a child that the Tooth Fairy is just a myth. Crushing the child’s dreams sets off a chain of events that are far more than Larry bargained for including being “sentenced” to become a Tooth Fairy or face having his memories erased for good...PLUS losing any chance of getting back the girl of his dreams! Larry is brought before a 500-year-old Tooth Fairy stuck in a 10-year-old girl’s body for sentencing. The Tooth Fairy demands that Larry make retribution by temporarily serving as a Tooth Fairy and proving that Tooth Fairies really do exist. His mission? Larry must collect 20 teeth in 20 days. With his orders in hand, Larry embarks on a journey to prove the existence of Tooth Fairies and to win back the love of his life.

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16
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted poster
Domestic BO:
$216,391,482
International BO:
$530,529,789

Synopsis

Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent.

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17
Underworld: Awakening poster
Underworld: Awakening
Director: Mans Marlind, Björn Stein
Lead Roles: Kate Beckinsale as Selene
Initial Theatrical Release: January 20, 2012 (Wide) by Sony Pictures
Keywords: 3-D, Vampire, Werewolf, War, IMAX: DMR, Action Horror
Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Fantasy
Domestic BO:
$62,321,039
International BO:
$98,058,891

Synopsis

Vampire warrioress Selene, escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

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18
Nobody Walks poster
Domestic BO:
$25,342

Synopsis

Martine, an artist from New York, arrives in Los Angeles to work on her film. She is staying with friends of a friend, Julie, her husband Peter, Julie’s teenage daughter Kolt, and their young son. From the day that Martine walks into the lives of this open-minded, relaxed California family, everything is subtly set off balance. Peter is helping Martine complete the sound design on her art film and they collaborate closely together, working in the studio off the pool house where Martine is staying. They develop a connection that is rare for Peter and necessary for Martine to finish her movie but which begins to veer away from professional terrain. An attraction is also brewing between Martine and David’s assistant, who sixteen-year-old Kolt is crushing on as well. Meanwhile, Julie, a therapist who prides herself on being professional and together, is fending off the projective impulses of one of her patients, a screenwriter who can talk his way into anything. Each character experiences a surge of desire catalyzed by Martine’s arrival, and everyone is forced to confront the new landscape that emerges in her wake.

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19
Art is...The Permanent Revolution poster
Art is...The Permanent Revolution
Director: Manfred Kirchheimer
Initial Theatrical Release: March 2, 2012 (Limited) by First Run Features, released as Art is....The Permanent Revolution
Keywords: Artists, Agitprop, Political
Classification: Based on Real Life Events, Documentary, Live Action, Factual
Domestic BO:
$4,291

Synopsis

The anger and outrage captured by graphic artists have defined revolutions through the centuries. Printmakers have depicted the human condition in all its glories and struggles so powerfully that perceptions, attitudes and politics have been dramatically influenced. And the value and impact of this art is even more important today. In the new documentary, ART IS... THE PERMANENT REVOLUTION, three contemporary American artists and a master printer help explain the dynamic sequences of social reality and protest. Among the wide range of 60 artists on display are Rembrandt, Goya, Daumier, Kollwitz, Dix, Masereel, Grosz, Gropper, and Picasso. While their stirring graphics sweep by, the making of an etching, a woodcut and a lithograph unfolds before our eyes, as the contemporary artists join their illustrious predecessors in creating art of social engagement.

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20
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen poster
Domestic BO:
$9,041,540
International BO:
$23,967,116

Synopsis

When Britain's leading fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheikh's vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert, he immediately thinks the project is both absurd and unachievable. But when the Prime Minister's overzealous press secretary latches on to it as a "good will" story, this unlikely team will put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

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21
The Man with the Iron Fists poster
The Man with the Iron Fists
Director: RZA
Lead Roles: Russell Crowe as Jack Knife, RZA as Blacksmith, Lucy Liu as Madam Bloosom, Rick Yune as Zen-Yi, Jamie Chung as Lady Silk, Cung Le as Bronze Lion, Dave Bautista as Brass Body
Initial Theatrical Release: November 2, 2012 (Wide) by Universal
Keywords: Martial Arts, Directing Yourself, Screenplay Written By the Star, Addiction, Narcotics, Treasure Hunters, Action Adventure
Classification: Original Screenplay, Action, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$15,634,090
International BO:
$6,384,898

Synopsis

The Man with the Iron Fists tells the epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in nineteenth-century China who must unite to destroy the clan traitor who would destroy them all. Since his arrival in China's Jungle Village, the town's blacksmith has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans' brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon. As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains, one man must harness this power to become savior of his adopted people.

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22
Safe House poster
Domestic BO:
$126,181,630
International BO:
$81,702,771

Synopsis

The most dangerous renegade from the CIA, comes back onto the grid after a decade on the run. When the South African safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead. For the past year, Matt Weston has been frustrated by his inactive, backwater post in Cape Town. A "housekeeper" who aspires to be a full-fledged agent, the loyal company man has been waiting for an opportunity to prove himself. When the first and only occupant he’s had proves to be the most dangerous man he’s ever met, Weston readies for duty. Tobin Frost has eluded capture for almost a decade. One of the best ops men that the CIA’s known, the ex-intelligence officer has given up assets and sold military intel to anyone with cash since he turned. From trading secrets to North Korea to aiding splinter cells, the damage he’s done to the U.S. is immeasurable. And he’s now back on the reservation with a secret. As soon as Frost is brought in for debriefing, mercenaries come and tear apart Weston’s safe house. Barely escaping, the unlikely partners must discover if their attackers have been sent by terrorists or someone on the inside who will kill anyone standing in the way. Now it’s up to Weston to figure out who he can trust before they’re both eliminated from the game.

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23
Elefante blanco poster
Elefante blanco
Director: Pablo Trapero
Lead Roles: Ricardo Darin as Julian, Martina Gusman as Luciana, Jérémie Renier as Nicolas
Initial Theatrical Release: May 17, 2012 (Wide) (Argentina)
Keywords: Religious, Poverty, Government Corruption, Organized Crime, Narcotics, Social Worker
Classification: Original Screenplay, Drama, Live Action, Contemporary Fiction
Domestic BO:
$8,863
International BO:
$5,715,927

Synopsis

In the “Villa Virgin”, a shantytown in the slums of Buenos Aires, Julian The Secret in Their Eyes, and Nicolas–two priests and long -standing friends–work tirelessly to help the local people. Nicolas joins Julian in overseeing the construction of a hospital following the failure of a project he was leading in which paramilitary forces assassinated members of the community. Deeply troubled by his actions, Nicolas finds solace in Luciana, a young, attractive atheist social worker. As Nicholas’s beliefs wane, tension and violence grow between the slum’s drug-dealing cartels and when work on the hospital is halted by ministerial decree, the faith of the entire community is put to the test.

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24
Raaz 3: The Third Dimension poster
Raaz 3: The Third Dimension
Director: Vikram Bhatt
Lead Roles: Emraan Hashmi as Aditya, Bipasha Basu as Shanaya
Initial Theatrical Release: September 6, 2012 (Wide) (Bahrain)
Keywords: 3-D, Revenge, Occult, Performing Arts, Big Break, Good vs. Evil
Classification: Original Screenplay, Thriller/Suspense, Live Action, Fantasy
International BO:
$16,042,498

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of the glitz, lights, glamour and back-stabbing cruelty of the entertainment world, a fading movie diva Shanaya turns to black magic to thwart an upstart young starlet Sanjana on her way to usurp the position Shanaya once held. Sanjana ruthlessly turns against the girl, using her lover Aditya, a man who owes her his career, as a pawn. Things go awry when Aditya falls in love with Sanjana and vows to protect her against the evil that is consuming all of them.

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25
Safe poster
Domestic BO:
$17,142,080
International BO:
$24,353,133

Synopsis

A second-rate cage fighter on the mixed martial arts circuit, Luke Wright lives a numbing life of routine beatings and chump change...until the day he blows a rigged fight. Wanting to make an example of him, the Russian Mafia murders his family and banishes him from his life forever, leaving Luke to wander the streets of New York destitute, haunted by guilt, and tormented by the knowledge that he will always be watched, and anyone he develops a relationship with will also be killed. But when he witnesses a frightened twelve-year-old Chinese girl, Mei, being pursued by the same gangsters who killed his wife, Luke impulsively jumps to action...and straight into the heart of a deadly high-stakes war. Mei, he discovers, is no ordinary girl, but an orphaned math prodigy forced to work for the Triads as a "counter." He discovers she holds in her memory a priceless numerical code that the Triads, the Russian mob and a corrupt faction of the NYPD will kill for. Realizing he's the only person Mei can trust, Luke tears a swath through the city's brutal underworld to save an innocent girl's life...and perhaps even redeem his own.

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