Market Charts > 2012 > Genres > Action

Box Office Performance for Action Movies in 2012

← 2011 Summary for all Years 2013 →
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 The Hunger Games Mar 23, 2012 Lionsgate PG-13 $408,010,692 51,257,624
4 Skyfall Nov 8, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $296,804,366 37,286,980
5 Men in Black 3 May 25, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $179,020,854 22,490,057
6 The Expendables 2 Aug 17, 2012 Lionsgate R $85,028,192 10,681,933
7 Act of Valor Feb 24, 2012 Relativity R $70,012,847 8,795,583
8 Mission: Impossible—Ghost P… Dec 16, 2011 Paramount Pictures PG-13 $68,211,257 8,569,253
9 Contraband Jan 13, 2012 Universal R $66,528,000 8,357,788
10 Looper Sep 28, 2012 Sony Pictures R $66,486,205 8,352,538
11 Battleship May 18, 2012 Universal PG-13 $65,233,400 8,195,150
12 Underworld: Awakening Jan 20, 2012 Sony Pictures R $62,321,039 7,829,276
13 Total Recall Aug 3, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $58,877,969 7,396,729
14 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Veng… Feb 17, 2012 Sony Pictures PG-13 $51,774,002 6,504,271
15 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of … Dec 16, 2011 Warner Bros. PG-13 $49,938,199 6,273,643
16 Red Tails Jan 20, 2012 20th Century Fox PG-13 $49,876,377 6,265,876
17 Red Dawn Nov 21, 2012 Open Road PG-13 $43,877,043 5,512,191
18 Safe Apr 27, 2012 Lionsgate R $17,142,080 2,153,527
19 The Man with the Iron Fists Nov 2, 2012 Universal R $15,634,090 1,964,081
20 Dredd Sep 21, 2012 Lionsgate R $13,414,714 1,685,265
21 The Darkest Hour Dec 25, 2011 Summit Entertainment PG-13 $8,305,531 1,043,408
22 Serbuan maut Mar 23, 2012 Sony Pictures Cla… R $4,105,123 515,718
23 Agneepath Jan 6, 2012 Eros Entertainment Not Rated $1,973,574 247,936
24 Real Steel Oct 7, 2011 Walt Disney PG-13 $970,068 121,867
25 Immortals Nov 11, 2011 Relativity R $847,018 106,409
26 Dodookdeul Oct 12, 2012 Well Go USA Not Rated $532,699 66,921
27 Don 2 Dec 22, 2011 Reliance Big Pict… Not Rated $500,054 62,820
28 Seeking Justice Mar 16, 2012 Anchor Bay Entert… R $411,746 51,726
29 Stolen Sep 14, 2012 Alchemy R $289,773 36,403
30 Drive Sep 16, 2011 FilmDistrict R $227,642 28,598
31 Thaandavam Sep 28, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $213,476 26,818
32 Tai Chi Zero Oct 19, 2012 Variance Films PG-13 $212,094 26,644
33 Vettai Jan 13, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $202,581 25,449
34 Long men fei jia Aug 31, 2012 Indomina Releasing R $170,276 21,391
35 Mugamoodi Aug 31, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $101,911 12,802
36 Paan Singh Tomar Mar 2, 2012 UTV Communications Not Rated $40,311 5,064
37 Hua Pi 2 Aug 17, 2012 Well Go USA Not Rated $33,212 4,172
38 Sacrifice Apr 26, 2011 Alchemy R $27,899 3,504
39 Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimigo… Nov 11, 2011 Variance Films Not Rated $14,616 1,836
40 Wu Xia Nov 30, 2012 Weinstein Co. R $11,300 1,419
41 Total Recall Jun 1, 1990 Sony Pictures R $11,299 1,419
42 Forces spéciales Oct 12, 2012 Entertainment One R $10,759 1,351
43 Arjun The Warrior Prince Jan 31, 2011 UTV Communications Not Rated $10,017 1,258
44 BRO' Jun 22, 2012 R $9,329 1,171
45 Universal Soldier: Day of R… Nov 30, 2012 Magnet Pictures R $5,460 685
46 Tomorrow When the War Began Feb 24, 2012 Freestyle Releasing R $4,936 620
47 The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch Nov 18, 2011 Music Box Films Not Rated $2,333 293
48 Ta-weo Dec 31, 2012 Not Rated $726 91
Total Gross of All Movies$2,758,934,098
Total Tickets Sold346,599,734

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.