2012 (2009)

In 2009, American geologist Adrian Helmsley visits astrophysicist Satnam Tsurutani in India and learns that neutrinosfrom a huge solar flare are heating Earth's core. Helmsley presents his information to White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser, who brings him to meet the president.

The following year, U.S. President Thomas Wilson and other world leaders begin a secret project to ensure the survival of humanity. China and the G8 nations begin building nine arks, each capable of carrying 100,000 people, in the Himalayas near Cho Ming, Tibet. Nima, a Buddhist monk, is evacuated and his brother Tenzin joins the ark project. Funding is raised by selling tickets at €1 billion per person. By 2011, articles of value are moved to the arks with the help of art expert and First Daughter Laura Wilson.

In 2012, struggling Los Angeles science-fiction writer Jackson Curtis is a chauffeur for Russian billionaire Yuri Karpov. Jackson's former wife (Kate) and their children (Noah and Lilly) live with Kate's boyfriend, plastic surgeon and pilot Gordon Silberman. Jackson takes Noah and Lilly camping in Yellowstone National Park. When they find an area fenced off by the Army, Jackson and his children climb over the fence. They are caught and brought to the geologist Adrian, who has read Jackson's books. After they are released they meet Charlie Frost, who hosts a radio show from the park.

That night, after the military evacuates Yellowstone, Jackson watches Charlie's video of Charles Hapgood's theory that polar shifts and the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar predict a 2012 phenomenon. According to Charlie, anyone who attempted to inform the public was killed. Soon after Jackson and his children return home, earthquakes begin in California; Jackson heeds Charlie's warning, and rents a private plane. He rescues his family as the Earth-crust displacement begins and escapes from Los Angeles by air as California sinks into the Pacific Ocean.

They fly to Yellowstone to retrieve a map from Charlie with the arks' location. As they leave, the Yellowstone Caldera erupts; Charlie is killed when he stays behind to cover the eruption. The group lands in Las Vegas to find a larger plane and meet Yuri, his twin sons Alec and Oleg, his girlfriend Tamara and their pilot Sasha. Sasha and Gordon fly them out in an Antonov An-500 as the Yellowstone ash cloud envelops Las Vegas.

Adrian, Carl and Laura fly to the arks on Air Force One. Knowing that his daughter will survive, President Wilson remains in the capital to address the nation for the last time while millions of people die in earthquakes and megatsunamis worldwide. With the presidential line of succession gone, Carl assumes the position of acting commander-in-chief.

When Jackson's group reaches China, their plane runs out of fuel. Sasha continues flying the plane as the others escape on a Bentley Continental Flying Spurstored in the cargo hold. Sasha is killed when the plane crashes, and the others are spotted by Chinese Air Force helicopters. Yuri and his sons (who have tickets) are brought to the arks and the Curtis family, Tamara and Gordon are left behind. The remaining group is picked up by Nima and brought to the arks with his grandparents. With Tenzin's help they stow away on Ark 4, where the U.S. contingent is located. As a megatsunami breaches the Himalayas and approaches the site, an impact driver lodges in the ark-door gears. This keeps a boarding gate open, which prevents the ship's engines from starting. In the ensuing chaos, Yuri, Tamara and Gordon are killed. Tenzin is injured, the ark begins filling with water and is set adrift. Jackson and Noah dislodge the tool and the crew regains control of the Ark before it strike Mount Everest. Jackson is reunited with his family and reconciles with Kate.

Twenty-seven days later, the waters are receding. The arks approach the Cape of Good Hope, where the Drakensberg (now the tallest mountain range on Earth) is emerging. Adrian and Laura begin a relationship, and Jackson and Kate rekindle their romance.