Moviegoers make date with disaster film ‘2012’

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Disaster swept the world  during the weekend as the apocalyptic movie “2012” registered  the biggest opening for a non-franchise movie.

The latest calamity epic from “Independence Day” director  Roland Emmerich sold $225 million worth of tickets globally,  distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday.

Moviegoers in the United States and Canada chipped in $65  million, at the high end of bullish industry forecasts.

The foreign tally of $160 million came from 105 countries,  led by France with $17.2 million, Russia with $15.3 million and  Emmerich’s native Germany with $12.4 million. It opens in Japan  next weekend.

Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp, said “2012” recorded the  highest worldwide opening ever for an original film not based  on an established franchise, brand or best-selling novel.

In overall worldwide terms, it ranks at No. 9, behind  pictures from such franchises as “Harry Potter,” “Spider-Man”  and “Star Wars,” as well as the adaptation of “The Da Vinci  Code.” The record of $394 million was set in July by “Harry  Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

“2012,” which cost about $200 million to make, uses the  Mayan calendar and other end-of-days prophecies to depict the  world’s demise courtesy of a solar meltdown. Critics were  predictably skeptical.

The cast includes John Cusack, Amanda  Peet and Oliver Platt.

Columbia said the film received strong ratings from  moviegoers in exit polling. Demographic data revealed male  moviegoers accounted for 52 percent of the audience, and 45  percent of patrons were aged under 25.