2012 Apocalypse Theory Inspires Disaster Movie

The end of the world has been prophesied in many ways, shapes and forms by not only religions, but movies as well. Countless disaster movies predict the end of the days via asteroids, alien attacks, and anything that requires large scale special effects. No director in the modern era has gotten more from this genre than Roland Emmerich, of Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow fame.

This time, Emmerich is going to destroy the world in a way that the Mayans predicted thousands of years ago. According to both Emmerich and the Mayans, 2012 is the final year of existence. Therefore, Emmerich's 2012 could help us get ready.

The notorious Mayan legend is that the Mayan calender has predicted the end of the world. According to their legends, December 21, 2012 is the day of the apocalypse. It is a prediction that has attracted a lot more interest now that 2012 is almost here.

Many books have been devoted to the subject, as well as debate on whether the Mayans even predicted the world's destruction to happen in 2012. Some debate that the Mayans couldn't have predicted this and the phenomenon is overblown, while others see signs that something will indeed happen in 2012.

Like any trend and phenomenon, Hollywood is quick to pounce on it and turn it into a thrill ride. Even though 2012 is a few years away, Hollywood is putting out the disaster movie version of the Mayan end of the world, 2012, out next year.

To start teasing people, an early trailer for 2012 was released on the Internet yesterday. With Roland Emmerich as the director, everyone knows to expect grand, world ending special effects, although the world probably won't actually end in the movie.

John Cusack, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Oliver Platt are the less important human stars who battle the special effects.

Emmerich took a big hit earlier this year with the bomb 10,000 B.C, so a return to the disaster movie genre comes just in time for him, as he continues to be the modern day Irwin Allen.

The actual prediction that Emmerich and 2012 are inspired by will likely get an extra boost from the movie, but the controversy over it will still continue. Few people actually expect the end of the days in 2012, but the topic is large enough, and close enough, to keep people talking about it.

Besides, by December 21, 2012, the next Presidential election will be over and there will undoubtly be more end-of-the-world signs from that event.

Emmerich's 2012 will be released well before that in July 2009.

Sources

USA TODAY- "Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?" www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm

Obsessed With Film- "Roland Emmerich's end of the world blockbuster 2012 gets short teaser" www.obsessedwithfilm.com/movie-news/roland-emmerichs-end-of-the-world-blockbuster-2012-gets-short-teaser.php