2012 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, critics' lists of the best films of 2012, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, and notable deaths. Most notably, Universal and Paramount, two of America's oldest surviving film studios, celebrated their centennial anniversaries, marking the first time that two major film studios celebrate 100 years. The Dolby Atmos sound format was launched for the premiere of Brave. The James Bond film series celebrated its 50th anniversary and released its 23rd film, Skyfall. Six box-office blockbusters from previous years (Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Titanic, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc.) were re-released in 3D and IMAX. Also, the year marked the debut for high frame rate technology. The first film using 48 F.P.S., a higher frame rate than the film industry standard 24 F.P.S., was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

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Evaluation of the year edit

Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, "2012 has been a good year for Hollywood and off-Hollywood. Note, once more, the remarkable Hollywood nexus of the Gotham and Independent Spirit nominees, as the path of independent financing becomes ever more significant for filmmakers whose work doesn't fit into franchise formatting. And that's a good thing, from the perspective of filmmaking—whether it means that directors and actors share producers' risks in getting their work made, or that complicit producers give a director's vision free rein. But the latter notion makes some critics uneasy. There's an undercurrent of thought—one rooted in an antiquated and nostalgic vision of a halcyon classic Hollywood that supposedly both reached the masses and made modest and un-self-conscious art—that looks to producers to restrain the idiosyncrasies of directors and fit them into a readily marketable package of popular appeal. These critics yearn for the adversarial relationship of producer and director, seeing the producer as the supporter of democratic values and the director as a sort of egomaniacal élitist who, unrestrained, would spend someone else's money frivolously to make a movie that would please himself and his friends. Of course, that relationship becomes adversarial only if the producer doesn't see himself as a sort of benefactor, a patron of the arts whose very role is to finance and to foster individual expression—and, as ever, it all depends on who the individual is and what the nature of the vision is. It's fairly obvious that strong producers improve films made by mediocre directors but often constrain or dilute the distinctiveness and individuality of the work of good ones. There is a political agenda hidden within the critics' aesthetic preference for the strong hand of the producer, as critics demagogically put themselves in the position of defenders of the people—defending them from radical outliers and finding popular tastes with which to align themselves. It's another case of left and right agreeing without common ground and leading to bad policy—and, in this case, bad art."[1] In August 2012 BFI announced their 2012 Sight & Sound Greatest films of all Time survey which was topped for the first time by Vertigo.

Highest-grossing films edit

The top 10 films released in 2012 by worldwide gross are as follows:[2]

Highest-grossing films of 2012
Rank Title Distributor Worldwide gross
1 The Avengers Disney $1,518,812,988
2 Skyfall Sony $1,108,561,013
3 The Dark Knight Rises Warner Bros. $1,081,041,287
4 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey $1,017,003,568
5 Ice Age: Continental Drift Fox $877,244,782
6 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Lionsgate $829,746,820
7 The Amazing Spider-Man Sony $757,930,663
8 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Paramount $746,921,274
9 The Hunger Games Lionsgate $694,394,724
10 Men in Black 3 Sony $654,213,485

The Avengers grossed over $1.5 billion and it became the third highest-grossing film of all time. Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have each grossed over $1 billion, making them among the highest-grossing films of all time.

2012 box office records edit

  • The Hunger Games was the first film of 2012 to pass the $500 million mark worldwide, and is also the first film since Avatar to place first at the U.S. box office for four consecutive weekends.
  • Skyfall became the first film to gross more than £100 million, amassing a total of £102.9 million.
  • With their 3-D re-releases, two films achieved new milestones: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace reached $1.027 billion, and Titanic reached $2.187 billion, becoming the second film to surpass the $2 billion mark, following Avatar.
  • 2012 was the first year to have four films cross the billion-dollar milestone,[3] surpassing the previous year's record of three billion-dollar films.[4]

Events edit

Awards edit

Category/Organization 18th Critics' Choice Awards
January 10, 2013
70th Golden Globe Awards
January 13, 2013
Producers, Directors, Screen Actors, and Writers Guild Awards 66th BAFTA Awards
February 10, 2013
85th Academy Awards
February 24, 2013
Drama Musical or Comedy
Best Film Argo Les Misérables Argo
Best Director Ben Affleck
Argo
Ang Lee
Life of Pi
Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis
Lincoln
Hugh Jackman
Les Misérables
Daniel Day-Lewis
Lincoln
Best Actress Jessica Chastain
Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence
Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva
Amour
Jennifer Lawrence
Silver Linings Playbook
Best Supporting Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Master
Christoph Waltz
Django Unchained
Tommy Lee Jones
Lincoln
Christoph Waltz
Django Unchained
Best Supporting Actress Anne Hathaway
Les Misérables
Best Screenplay, Adapted Tony Kushner
Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino
Django Unchained
Chris Terrio
Argo
David O. Russell
Silver Linings Playbook
Chris Terrio
Argo
Best Screenplay, Original Quentin Tarantino
Django Unchained
Mark Boal
Zero Dark Thirty
Quentin Tarantino
Django Unchained
Best Animated Film Wreck-It Ralph Brave Wreck-It Ralph Brave
Best Original Score Lincoln
John Williams
Life of Pi
Mychael Danna
Skyfall
Thomas Newman
Life of Pi
Mychael Danna
Best Original Song "Skyfall"
Skyfall
"Skyfall"
Skyfall
Best Foreign Language Film Amour Amour
Best Documentary Searching for Sugar Man Searching for Sugar Man

2012 films edit

By country/region edit

By genre/medium edit

Births edit

Deaths edit

Month Date Name Age Country Profession Notable films
January 1 Bob Anderson 89 UK Stuntman, Choreographer
2 Silvana Gallardo 58 US Actress
3 Joaquín Martínez 81 Mexico Actor
4 Harry Fowler 85 UK Actor
5 Frederica Sagor Maas 111 US Screenwriter
10 Lila Kaye 82 UK Actress
11 Richard Bruno 87 US Costume Designer
11 David Whitaker 81 UK Composer
13 Morgan Jones 83 US Actor
14 Mila Parely 94 France Actress
21 Eiko Ishioka 73 Japan Costume Designer
23 Bingham Ray 57 US Studio Executive
24 Theo Angelopoulos 76 Greece Director, Screenwriter
24 James Farentino 82 US Actor
26 Ian Abercrombie 77 UK Actor
26 Dimitra Arliss 79 US Actress
29 John Rich 86 US Director
February 3 Ben Gazzara 81 US Actor
3 Zalman King 69 US Director, Screenwriter, Actor
4 Andrew Wight 51 Australia Screenwriter, Producer
5 Sam Coppola 79 US Actor
6 Peter Breck 82 US Actor
8 Phil Bruns 80 US Actor
8 Laurie Main 89 Australia Actor
11 Whitney Houston 48 US Singer, Actress, Producer
12 Zina Bethune 66 US Actress
12 David Kelly 82 Ireland Actor
13 Russell Arms 92 US Actor, Singer
14 Dory Previn 86 US Lyricist
16 Elyse Knox 94 US Actress
16 Dick Anthony Williams 77 US Actor
18 Peter Halliday 87 UK Actor
18 Ric Waite 78 US Cinematographer
23 Bruce Surtees 74 US Cinematographer
25 Erland Josephson 88 Sweden Actor
26 Richard Carpenter 82 UK Actor
29 Davy Jones 66 UK Actor, Singer
March 1 Phillip R. Allen 72 US Actor
1 Jerome Courtland 85 US Actor, Producer
3 Leonardo Cimino 94 US Actor
3 Ralph McQuarrie 82 US Designer, Illustrator
4 Joan Taylor 82 US Actress
5 Philip Madoc 77 UK Actor
6 Robert B. Sherman 86 US Songwriter
9 Terry Teene 70 US Actor, Singer
10 Jean Giraud 73 France Designer, Illustrator
11 Faith Brook 90 UK Actress
19 Ulu Grosbard 83 Belgium Director, Producer
21 Robert Fuest 84 UK Director, Screenwriter
21 Tonino Guerra 92 Italy Screenwriter
25 Hal E. Chester 91 US Producer, Screenwriter, Actor
25 Bill Weston 70 UK Stuntman, Actor
27 Warren Stevens 92 US Actor
28 Neil Travis 73 US Film Editor
29 Luke Askew 80 US Actor
April 1 Jamaa Fanaka 69 US Director, Screenwriter
9 Carol Adams 94 US Actress
9 Barry Cahill 90 Canada Actor
10 Grant Tilly 74 Australia Actor
11 Rainer Penkert 90 Germany Actor
14 William Finley 71 US Actor
14 Jonathan Frid 87 Canada Actor
14 Martin Poll 89 US Producer
15 Paul Bogart 92 US Director
15 Murray Rose 73 Australia Actor
18 Dick Clark 82 US Actor, Producer
18 Robert O. Ragland 80 US Composer
19 Levon Helm 71 US Actor, Singer
20 Peter Carsten 83 Germany Actor
25 Paul L. Smith 75 US Actor
28 Patricia Medina 92 UK Actress
29 Joel Goldsmith 54 US Composer
30 George Murdock 81 US Actor
May 2 Tracy Reed 69 UK Actress
4 Mort Lindsey 89 US Composer
6 James Isaac 51 US Director, Special Effects Artist
6 George Lindsey 83 US Actor
7 Andrea Crisanti 75 Italy Production Designer
7 Virgil Frye 81 US Actor
9 Vidal Sassoon 84 UK Hairstylist
10 Joyce Redman 93 UK Actress
11 Roland Shaw 91 UK Composer, Arranger
15 Henry Denker 99 US Screenwriter
22 Janet Carroll 71 US Actress
24 Lee Rich 93 US Producer
27 Dee Caruso 83 US Screenwriter
28 Matthew Yuricich 89 US Special Effects Artist
29 Kaneto Shindo 100 Japan Screenwriter, Director
31 Christopher Challis 91 UK Cinematographer
June 2 Richard Dawson 79 UK Actor
2 Kathryn Joosten 72 US Actress
2 Marco Onorato 59 Italy Cinematographer
3 Jean-Louis Richard 85 France Screenwriter
4 Stan Jolley 86 US Production Designer
5 Caroline John 71 UK Actress
5 Ray Bradbury 90 US Screenwriter
7 J. Michael Riva 63 US Production Designer
8 Frank Cady 96 US Actor
11 Ann Rutherford 94 Canada Actress
14 Yvette Wilson 48 US Actress
16 Giuseppe Bertolucci 65 Italy Director, Screenwriter
16 Susan Tyrrell 67 US Actress
18 Victor Spinetti 82 UK Actor
19 Richard Lynch 72 US Actor
26 Nora Ephron 71 US Director, Screenwriter, Producer
26 Charles Rosen 81 US Production Designer
27 Bruce Guerin 93 US Actor
28 Paul Stassino 81 Greece Actor
July 2 Ben Davidson 72 US Actor
2 Ben Van Os 67 Netherlands Production Designer
3 Andy Griffith 86 US Actor
4 Eric Sykes 89 UK Actor
8 Ernest Borgnine 95 US Actor
13 Sage Stallone 36 US Actor
13 Ginny Tyler 86 US Voice Actress
13 Richard D. Zanuck 77 US Producer
15 Celeste Holm 95 US Actress
16 William Asher 90 US Director, Screenwriter
17 Morgan Paull 67 US Actor
18 Rajesh Khanna 69 India Actor
19 Tom Davis 59 US Actor, Screenwriter
20 Tony Epper 73 US Stuntman, Actor
20 Simon Ward 70 UK Actor
21 Angharad Rees 63 UK Actress
22 Fern Persons 101 US Actress
22 Frank Pierson 87 US Screenwriter, Director
24 Chad Everett 76 US Actor
24 Sherman Hemsley 74 US Actor
26 Walter Goss 84 New Zealand Sound Engineer
26 Lupe Ontiveros 69 US Actress
26 Mary Tamm 62 UK Actress
27 Norman Alden 87 US Actor
27 R. G. Armstrong 95 US Actor
27 Geoffrey Hughes 68 UK Actor
27 Tony Martin 98 US Actor, Singer
29 John P. Finnegan 86 US Actor
29 Chris Marker 91 France Director
30 Jonathan Hardy 71 New Zealand Actor, Director
31 Gore Vidal 86 US Actor, Screenwriter
August 6 Marvin Hamlisch 68 US Composer
8 Sancho Gracia 75 Spain Actor
9 Al Freeman Jr. 78 US Actor
9 Mel Stuart 83 US Director, Producer
10 Irving Fein 101 US Producer
10 Carlo Rambaldi 86 Italy Special Effects Artist
13 Joan Roberts 94 US Actress
14 Ron Palillo 63 US Actor
14 Phyllis Thaxter 92 US Actress
15 Biff Elliot 89 US Actor
16 William Windom 88 US Actor
18 George Bowers 68 US Film Editor, Director
19 Tony Scott 68 UK Director, Producer
20 Phyllis Diller 95 US Actress, Comedian
23 Jerry Nelson 78 US Puppeteer, Actor
24 Steve Franken 80 US Actor
31 Max Bygraves 89 UK Actor, Singer
September 1 Hal David 91 US Lyricist
3 Michael Clarke Duncan 54 US Actor
6 Jake Eberts 71 Canada Producer
6 Frank Godwin 95 UK Producer
8 Leigh Hamilton 62 New Zealand Actress
10 Vondell Darr 93 US Actress
10 Lance LeGault 75 US Actor
10 Stanley Long 78 UK Director, Screenwriter, Producer
10 John Moffatt 89 UK Actor
13 Edgar Metcalfe 78 UK Actor
14 Stephen Dunham 48 US Actor
14 Winston Rekert 63 Canada Actor
16 John Ingle 84 US Actor
16 Roman Kroitor 85 Canada Director, Producer
24 Edward A. Biery 92 US Film Editor
25 Andy Williams 84 US Actor, Singer
26 Johnny Lewis 28 US Actor
27 Herbert Lom 95 Czech Republic Actor
28 Michael O'Hare 60 US Actor
30 Turhan Bey 90 Austria Actor
30 Stephen Frankfurt 80 US Title Designer
October 2 Marjorie Lane 100 US Actress, Singer
7 Larry Block 69 US Actor
7 Hank Moonjean 82 US Producer
8 Ken Sansom 85 US Actor
9 Harris Savides 55 US Cinematographer
10 Alex Karras 77 US Actor
10 Leo O'Brien 41 US Actor
12 Norm Grabowski 79 US Actor
13 Gary Collins 74 US Actor
14 John Clive 79 UK Actor
18 Sylvia Kristel 60 Netherlands Actress
20 Joe Melia 77 UK Actor
21 Yash Chopra 80 India Director, Producer
22 Russell Means 72 US Actor
24 Peggy Ahern 95 US Actress
24 Anita Bjork 89 Sweden Actress
26 Mac Ahlberg 81 Sweden Cinematographer
26 Natina Reed 32 US Actress, Singer
27 Robert W. Castle 81 US Actor
28 Merry Anders 78 US Actress
28 Bob Brunner 78 US Screenwriter
29 Bounty 52 Canada Ship, Film Prop
30 Leonard Termo 77 US Actor
November 5 Olympe Bradna 93 France Actress
6 Clive Dunn 92 UK Actor
7 Richard Robbins 71 US Composer
8 Lucille Bliss 96 US Voice Actress
8 Roger Hammond 76 UK Actor
17 Katherine Kath 92 UK Actress
21 Dann Cahn 89 US Film Editor
21 Deborah Raffin 59 US Actress
23 Larry Hagman 81 US Actor, Director
23 John Kemeny 87 Canada Producer
25 Dinah Sheridan 92 UK Actress
26 Martin Richards 80 US Producer
27 Bob Kellett 84 UK Director, Producer, Screenwriter
28 Don Rhymer 51 US Screenwriter
29 Susan Luckey 74 US Actress
29 Benjamin Tatar 82 US Actor
December 3 Eileen Moran 60 US Visual Effects Artist
4 Rozina Cambos 60 Romania Actress
7 Jeni Le Gon 96 US Actress, Dancer
8 Hal Schaefer 87 US Composer
10 Marla English 77 US Actress
10 Ed Grady 89 US Actor
10 Patricia Kennedy 96 Australia Actress
11 Ravi Shankar 92 India Composer
12 Don Medford 95 US Director
13 Gil Friesen 75 US Producer
16 Avraham Mor 77 Israel Actor
18 Danny Steinmann 70 US Director, Screenwriter
19 Bud Alper 82 US Sound Engineer
22 Cliff Osmond 75 US Actor
23 Ha Nguyen 57 Vietnam Costume Designer
24 Richard Rodney Bennett 76 UK Composer
24 Charles Durning 89 US Actor
24 Jack Klugman 90 US Actor
26 Gerry Anderson 83 UK Director, Producer, Screenwriter
27 Harry Carey Jr. 91 US Actor
28 Jon Finch 70 UK Actor
30 Mike Hopkins 53 New Zealand Sound Engineer

Film debuts edit

References edit

  1. ^ Brody, Richard (9 December 2012). "The Best Movies of 2012". The New Yorker. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  2. ^ "2012 Worldwide Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Levine, Nick (March 4, 2013). "The Hobbit becomes 15th movie to make $1 billion worldwide". NME. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Stewart, Andrew (December 28, 2011). "Domestic B.O. falls 3% in 2011". Variety. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2024.

External links edit

  Media related to 2012 in film at Wikimedia Commons