#1 of 9 #1 action movie of May 2012
2012 · Action, Adventure
$1.5B worldwide · 61% of the chart's total
$623.4M US & Canada · 41% $897.2M elsewhere · 59%
Action box office · May 2012
Action Box Office, May 2012: Top-Grossing Releases
The Avengers (2012) is the highest-grossing action movie released in May 2012, with $1.5B worldwide, ahead of Men in Black III (2012) at $654.2M and Battleship (2012) at $303M. 9 action films released in May 2012 report a worldwide gross, $2.5B in all, 35% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion and 3 crossed $100 million. That is 12 times the total of April 2012, whose releases took $207.1M. By language, English leads with $2.5B across 3 action releases.
- May 2012 releases with a gross
- 9
- combined worldwide
- $2.5B
- films crossed $100M
- 3
- vs April 2012
- ×12
#1 of 9 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Action Hits of May 2012?
The Avengers (2012) leads with $1.5B, 61% of the total. The top 5 together took $2.5B, almost all of what the 9 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Action Release of May 2012, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in May 2012.
- 1 May 4, 2012 US and Canada: $623.4M Rest of the world: $897.2M Worldwide: $1.5B
- 2 May 25, 2012 US and Canada: $179M Rest of the world: $475.2M Worldwide: $654.2M
- 3 May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $65.4M Rest of the world: $237.6M Worldwide: $303M
- 4 May 4, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.8M
- 5 May 3, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.4M
- 6
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $3.4K Rest of the world: $621.6K Worldwide: $624.9K - 7
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $27.4K - 8
May 3, 2012 US and Canada: $17.1K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $17.1K - 9
May 24, 2012 US and Canada: $10K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2012?
Of the top 9, Grandmaster (2012) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Sleepless Night (2012) made 99% of its gross abroad. Across all 9 films, $867.8M (35%) came from the US & Canada. 3 films of the top 9 report no US & Canada figure.
- 1 The Avengers (2012) $1.5B $623.4M US & Canada · 41% $897.2M elsewhere · 59%
- 2 Men in Black III (2012) $654.2M $179M US & Canada · 27% $475.2M elsewhere · 73%
- 3 Battleship (2012) $303M $65.4M US & Canada · 22% $237.6M elsewhere · 78%
- 4 Jannat 2 (2012) $11.8M No US & Canada figure reported
- 5 White Tiger (2012) $3.4M No US & Canada figure reported
- 6 Sleepless Night (2012) $624.9K $3.4K US & Canada · <1% $621.6K elsewhere · 99%
- 7 Department (2012) $27.4K No US & Canada figure reported
- 8 Grandmaster (2012) $17.1K $17.1K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 9 Arjun: The Warrior Prince (2012) $10K $10K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
By release week
Which Week of May 2012 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 29–May 5) took $1.5B, led by The Avengers (2012). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 29–May 5 The Avengers (2012) $1.5B The Avengers (2012)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 6–12 Sleepless Night (2012) $624.9K Sleepless Night (2012)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 13–19 Battleship (2012) $303.1M Battleship (2012)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 20–26 Men in Black III (2012) $654.2M Men in Black III (2012)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 27–Jun 2 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2012 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2012 earned the most: $2.5B from 9 films, led by The Avengers (2012).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2003 8 films | 8 | $1.4B | – | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) $741.8M |
| May 2004 7 films · −2% | 7 | $1.4B | −2% | The Day After Tomorrow (2004) $552.6M |
| May 2005 10 films · −11% | 10 | $1.2B | −11% | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) $905.6M |
| May 2006 10 films · −6% | 10 | $1.1B | −6% | X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) $460.4M |
| May 2007 11 films · +75% | 11 | $2B | +75% | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $961.7M |
| May 2008 13 films · −3% | 13 | $1.9B | −3% | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) $786.6M |
| May 2009 14 films · −16% | 14 | $1.6B | −16% | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) $413.1M |
| May 2010 12 films · −37% | 12 | $1B | −37% | Iron Man 2 (2010) $623.9M |
| May 2011 11 films · +123% | 11 | $2.3B | +123% | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1B |
| May 2012 9 films · +10% | 9 | $2.5B | +10% | The Avengers (2012) $1.5B |
By language
Which Languages Do the Biggest Action Movies Speak in May 2012?
English-language action films took $2.5B across 3 films, 99% of the total, ahead of Hindi-language action films ($11.8M) and Russian-language action films ($3.4M).
Archive
Action Box Office in 2012, Month by Month
The months of 2012 with their totals: May leads with $2.5B, led by The Avengers (2012).
- January $427.6M #1 Underworld: Awakening (2012)
- February $1.1B #1 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
- March $1.5B #1 The Hunger Games (2012)
- April $207.1M #1 Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker (2012)
- May $2.5B #1 The Avengers (2012)
- June $1.5B #1 Brave (2012)
- July $2B #1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- August $955.8M #1 The Expendables 2 (2012)
- September $571.2M #1 Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
- October $586.2M #1 Taken 2 (2012)
- November $1.3B #1 Skyfall (2012)
- December $1.2B #1 Django Unchained (2012)
FAQ
Action Box Office May 2012: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 9 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing action movie in May 2012?
The Avengers (2012) leads with $1.5B worldwide, $623.4M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Men in Black III (2012) at $654.2M and Battleship (2012) at $303M.
How much did action movies released in May 2012 earn?
9 action films released in May 2012 report a worldwide gross, $2.5B in all, or $277.1M per film on average. April 2012 releases took $207.1M.
How many action movies released in May 2012 made $1 billion?
1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide: The Avengers (2012). 3 crossed $100 million.
How is the May 2012 action box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in May 2012. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the May 2012 action box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.