Producers: Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich, Michael Wimer, Larry J. Franco and Harald Kloser
Director: Roland Emmerich
Cast: John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, liver Platt and Thandie Newton
VFX: Volker Engel, Marc Weigert and Roland Emmerich
Writers: Harald Kloser and Roland Emmerich
Word spreads in Gautemala that the Mayan Long Count Calender is set to reach the end of its 13th cycle on December 21, 2012. Lakhs of people have committed suicide believing that the 2012 Mayan calender prediction is going to come true. A secret organisation IHC is formed and they are sure that the world is going to end. The governments of the world give the IHC the task of saving the human race. When a highly-respected team of scientists confirms in 2009 that the world is indeed coming to an end, the world leaders already have a plan in place to save the world by 2012, but not all can be saved. A massive construction of arks begins beneath the Himalayan mountains to save people from the disaster. When the event occurs at a faster magnitude than expected, everybody rushes towards the ships to save themselves. Los Angeles, South America and The Vatican are washed out due to the Yellowstone supervolcano that erupts along with massive earthquakes. The world is nearing an end when a group of survivers are stuck. They have to reach China where they can board the ship that will save them from the tidal waves destroying Earth.
Producer
Harald Kloser
the more I talked about the story, the more I realised this is really something to which people today can relate. There are a lot of philosophical and political elements, which I think add to the disaster element. You will find millions of people, from all walks of life, who believe that in 2012 there will be some kind of shift in society or a shift in spirit. John is perfect, just picture-perfect for the role he plays. I couldn't see anybody else in the part. At first, we wanted to tell this story without the Washington storyline. But after talking about it for a while, you can't do an undertaking of government in such a magnitude without showing the people who do it. If you only know Roland's movies, you'd think he was really aggressive, tough and brutal - and then he turns out to be the sweetest, nicest guy in the world. He really knows what he's doing and really sure of what he wants. He pulls you in, you're on the edge of your seat - and you can't help but go with it.
