In 2012, 60 thriller films were released domestically grossing $1.5 billion total. The Hunger Games was the most successful, grossing over $400 million. Thrillers proved profitable in 2012, earning higher profits than budgets. Thrillers typically receive 12A or 15 ratings due to violence and themes unsuitable for younger audiences. They target teenagers and older, appealing mainly but not exclusively to males with action and violence.

1. Institutional Research
By Brooke Medcalf

2. 2012 Thriller Films
In the year 2012, there were 60 thriller films released causing the total
domestic gross to be $1,533,591,817
Well known films such as The Hunger Games and The Woman in Black
were ranked within the top five however other well known films from the
thriller include Taken 2 and The Bourne Legacy were also released in
2012.

3. How Profitable was the Thriller Genre in
2012?
The thriller genre in 2012 proved to be a profitable genre as it made a
total gross of $1,533,591,817 also selling a total of 192,662,261 tickets to
see the films in cinema. In comparison to the budget of making films,
this concludes that a higher profit was made due to being one of the
most successful years for the thriller genre within film production.

4. Which Films were Most Successful and
Why?
Within the thriller genre, the most successful film was The Hunger Games
with a total gross of $408,010,692 as well as selling a total of 51,257,624
tickets. The film was rated at a PG-13 in the US and as a 12A in the UK as
it includes a lot of action, violence and death. The film had been
advertised highly especially over social media however due to being part
of a book trilogy, the anticipation to watch the film reached a higher
level. The age rating contributed towards the popularity as many
teenagers use social media for hours on end on a daily basis causing the
word to spread like wildfire as more and more people found out about
the film. The main characters were played by Jennifer Lawrence and
Josh Hutcherson causing even more uproar and excitement to watch the
new thriller.

5. What are the Characteristics of the
Audience for the Thriller Genre?
For the thriller genre, the age groups for these films are sometimes 12A
rated however mainly 15 rated due to the amount of violence, occasional
strong language and death - also including themes that may become
scary and therefore unsuitable to a younger audience.
The thriller genre is mainly aimed at the male gender however it is for
any gender to watch. This is due to the massive amount of action,
violence as well as themes including gangs and weapons whereas films
mainly aimed at females are based on romance such as chick flicks and
rom-com.
The social class for the thriller genre is C1 - D due to stereotypical
audience types.

6. Conclusion
In conclusion I have learnt that the thriller genre is aimed at teenagers
however sometimes rated at the youngest age of 12 but mainly the films
are for 15 years and older. Thrillers can include a high amount of action,
violence, suspense and death. In order to make my film a successful
thriller, I must be able to match the same characteristics for my target
audience - suitable for both genders, however include a lot of mystery
and tension to attract the male gender. This also means the film can
include a certain amount of violence and strong language to an extent.