2012 is a 2009 American science fiction disaster movie directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. It was produced by Centropolis Entertainment, Emmerich's production company, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It is based upon the 2012 phenomenon, which was a number of beliefs that destructive events would occur on or around December 21, 2012. It was released on November 13, 2009. Critics gave it mixed reviews. They liked its special effects, but were critical of its length (158 minutes) and screenwriting. It made $770 million worldwide.