#1 of 88 #1 movie of May 2012
2012 · Action, Adventure
$1.5B worldwide · 39% of the chart's total
$623.4M US & Canada · 41% $897.2M elsewhere · 59%
Box office · May 2012
May 2012 Box Office: The Highest-Grossing May Releases
The Avengers (2012) is the highest-grossing movie released in May 2012, with $1.5B worldwide, ahead of Men in Black III (2012) at $654.2M and The Intouchables (2012) at $426.6M. 88 films released in May 2012 report a worldwide gross, $3.9B in all, 30% of it from the US & Canada. 1 film crossed $1 billion and 7 crossed $100 million. That is up 190% on April 2012, whose releases took $1.3B. By genre, Action leads with $2.5B across 9 releases.
- May 2012 releases with a gross
- 88
- combined worldwide
- $3.9B
- films crossed $100M
- 7
- vs April 2012
- +190%
#1 of 88 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Hits of May 2012?
The Avengers (2012) leads with $1.5B, 39% of the total. The top 5 together took $3.1B, 82% of what all 88 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 Release of May 2012, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Ranks 1 to 50 of 88. 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 25, 2012 US and Canada: $10.2M Rest of the world: $416.4M Worldwide: $426.6M
- 4 May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $65.4M Rest of the world: $237.6M Worldwide: $303M
- 5 May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $79.7M Rest of the world: $165.8M Worldwide: $245.5M
- 6
May 16, 2012 US and Canada: $59.7M Rest of the world: $119.7M Worldwide: $179.4M - 7
May 4, 2012 US and Canada: $46.4M Rest of the world: $104.1M Worldwide: $150.5M - 8
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $41.2M Rest of the world: $43.2M Worldwide: $84.4M - 9
May 25, 2012 US and Canada: $45.5M Rest of the world: $22.8M Worldwide: $68.3M - 10
May 25, 2012 US and Canada: $18.1M Rest of the world: $20.3M Worldwide: $38.4M - 11
May 17, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $29.4M - 12
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $211.4K Rest of the world: $20.4M Worldwide: $20.6M - 13
May 12, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $20.3M - 14
May 5, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $19.2M - 15
May 4, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $11.8M - 16
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $1.8M Rest of the world: $7.8M Worldwide: $9.6M - 17
May 7, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.3M - 18
May 30, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $8.2M - 19
May 6, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.6M - 20
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $532K Rest of the world: $7M Worldwide: $7.5M - 21
May 4, 2012 US and Canada: $15.4K Rest of the world: $6.8M Worldwide: $6.8M - 22
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $2.6M Rest of the world: $2.1M Worldwide: $4.7M - 23
May 3, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $3.4M - 24
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.7M - 25
May 21, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2.4M - 26
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $145.8K Rest of the world: $2.2M Worldwide: $2.4M - 27
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $233.4K Rest of the world: $2M Worldwide: $2.2M - 28
May 30, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.9M - 29
May 31, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.8M - 30
May 4, 2012 US and Canada: $1M Rest of the world: $716.8K Worldwide: $1.7M - 31
May 10, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.7M - 32
May 25, 2012 US and Canada: $101.5K Rest of the world: $1.4M Worldwide: $1.5M - 33
May 16, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.2M - 34
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.1M - 35
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $92.5K Rest of the world: $849.6K Worldwide: $942K - 36
May 10, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $857.7K - 37
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $809.6K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $809.6K - 38
May 9, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $701.4K - 39
May 19, 2012 US and Canada: $8.1K Rest of the world: $665K Worldwide: $673.1K - 40
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: $18.5K Rest of the world: $619.8K Worldwide: $638.3K - 41
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $3.4K Rest of the world: $621.6K Worldwide: $624.9K - 42
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $594.4K - 43
May 31, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $500.2K - 44
May 10, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $467.3K - 45
May 18, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $414.8K - 46
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: $122.6K Rest of the world: $271.3K Worldwide: $393.9K - 47
May 3, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $351.7K - 48
May 11, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $285.1K - 49
May 9, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $283.2K - 50
May 16, 2012 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $272.2K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in May 2012?
Of the top 10, Moonrise Kingdom (2012) earned the biggest share at home (67% in the US & Canada), while The Intouchables (2012) made 98% of its gross abroad. Across all 88 films, $1.2B (30%) came from the US & Canada.
- 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 The Intouchables (2012) $426.6M $10.2M US & Canada · 2% $416.4M elsewhere · 98%
- 4 Battleship (2012) $303M $65.4M US & Canada · 22% $237.6M elsewhere · 78%
- 5 Dark Shadows (2012) $245.5M $79.7M US & Canada · 32% $165.8M elsewhere · 68%
- 6 The Dictator (2012) $179.4M $59.7M US & Canada · 33% $119.7M elsewhere · 67%
- 7 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) $150.5M $46.4M US & Canada · 31% $104.1M elsewhere · 69%
- 8 What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) $84.4M $41.2M US & Canada · 49% $43.2M elsewhere · 51%
- 9 Moonrise Kingdom (2012) $68.3M $45.5M US & Canada · 67% $22.8M elsewhere · 33%
- 10 Chernobyl Diaries (2012) $38.4M $18.1M US & Canada · 47% $20.3M elsewhere · 53%
Gross bands
How Many May 2012 Releases Crossed $100 Million?
7 of 88 films crossed $100M and took $3.5B between them, 90% of the total. 73 films, 83% of the list, earned under $10M.
39% 17% 34%
- $1B or more 1 film, 1% of the list $1.5B · 39% of the gross
- $500M to $1B 1 film, 1% of the list $654.2M · 17% of the gross
- $100M to $500M 5 films, 6% of the list $1.3B · 34% of the gross
- $10M to $100M 8 films, 9% of the list $292.4M · 8% of the gross
- Under $10M 73 films, 83% of the list $88M · 2% of the gross
By release week
Which Week of May 2012 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 29–May 5) took $1.7B, 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) $1.7B The Avengers (2012)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 6–12 Dark Shadows (2012) $307.6M Dark Shadows (2012)
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 13–19 Battleship (2012) $633.2M Battleship (2012)
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 20–26 Men in Black III (2012) $1.2B Men in Black III (2012)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 27–Jun 2 Runway Cop (2012) $12.5M Runway Cop (2012)
Earlier years
How Does May 2012 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2012 earned the most: $3.9B from 88 films, led by The Avengers (2012).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2003 64 films | 64 | $3.2B | – | Finding Nemo (2003) $941.6M |
| May 2004 62 films · −21% | 62 | $2.5B | −21% | Shrek 2 (2004) $932.5M |
| May 2005 89 films · −1% | 89 | $2.5B | −1% | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) $905.6M |
| May 2006 74 films · +2% | 74 | $2.5B | +2% | The Da Vinci Code (2006) $760M |
| May 2007 106 films · +20% | 106 | $3B | +20% | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $961.7M |
| May 2008 89 films · −6% | 89 | $2.8B | −6% | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) $786.6M |
| May 2009 74 films · +16% | 74 | $3.3B | +16% | Up (2009) $735.1M |
| May 2010 98 films · −28% | 98 | $2.4B | −28% | Shrek Forever After (2010) $752.6M |
| May 2011 90 films · +54% | 90 | $3.7B | +54% | Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1B |
| May 2012 88 films · +5% | 88 | $3.9B | +5% | The Avengers (2012) $1.5B |
Genres & languages
Which Genres and Languages Earned the Most in May 2012?
Action took $2.5B across 9 films, 65% of the total, ahead of Sci-Fi ($2.5B) and Thriller ($2.1B). A film counts once for each of its genres. English-language films took $3.3B across 37 films, 85% of the total, ahead of French-language films ($448M) and Japanese-language films ($42M).
May 2012 Box Office by Genre
-
Action $2.5B9 films · #1 The Avengers (2012) -
Sci-Fi $2.5B5 films · #1 The Avengers (2012) -
Thriller $2.1B18 films · #1 The Avengers (2012) -
Comedy $1.9B31 films · #1 Men in Black III (2012) -
Adventure $1.8B3 films · #1 The Avengers (2012) -
Drama $1.1B41 films · #1 The Intouchables (2012) -
Horror $308.6M9 films · #1 Dark Shadows (2012) -
War $306.5M2 films · #1 Battleship (2012) -
Fantasy $249.5M3 films · #1 Dark Shadows (2012) -
Mystery $246.8M7 films · #1 Dark Shadows (2012)
May 2012 Box Office by Language
-
English $3.3B37 films · #1 The Avengers (2012) -
French $448M7 films · #1 The Intouchables (2012) -
Japanese $42M4 films · #1 Sadako 3D (2012) -
Korean $37.6M2 films · #1 All About My Wife (2012) -
Hindi $12.9M4 films · #1 Jannat 2 (2012) -
German $10.1M3 films · #1 Hanni & Nanni 2 (2012) -
Polish $8.5M2 films · #1 You Are God (2012) -
Arabic $7.6M2 films · #1 Where Do We Go Now? (2012) -
Russian $3.4M1 film · #1 White Tiger (2012) -
Spanish $3M6 films · #1 After Lucia (2012)
Archive
Box Office in 2012, Month by Month
The months of 2012 with their totals: November leads with $4.6B, led by Skyfall (2012).
- January $971M #1 Underworld: Awakening (2012)
- February $1.6B #1 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
- March $2.7B #1 The Hunger Games (2012)
- April $1.3B #1 American Reunion (2012)
- May $3.9B #1 The Avengers (2012)
- June $3.5B #1 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
- July $3.4B #1 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
- August $1.9B #1 The Expendables 2 (2012)
- September $1.8B #1 Hotel Transylvania (2012)
- October $1.7B #1 Taken 2 (2012)
- November $4.6B #1 Skyfall (2012)
- December $3.3B #1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
FAQ
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 88 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing 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 The Intouchables (2012) at $426.6M.
How much did movies released in May 2012 earn?
88 films released in May 2012 report a worldwide gross, $3.9B in all, or $43.9M per film on average. April 2012 releases took $1.3B.
How many movies released in May 2012 made $1 billion?
1 film crossed $1 billion worldwide: The Avengers (2012). 7 crossed $100 million.
How is the May 2012 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 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.