'Resident Evil' tops 2012 box office

TORONTO - The sci-fi action thriller "Resident Evil: Retribution" was the top box office earner of 2012.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television says the film grossed more than $5.4 million in Canada, earning it the 2012 Cineplex Golden Reel Award.

The award is presented annually to the Canadian film that earns the highest domestic box office in that year.

The academy says "Resident Evil: Retribution" grossed approximately $250 million worldwide, while the franchise pulled in more than $930 million at the global box office.

This is the seventh time a film produced by Don Carmody has won the Golden Reel — previous instalments "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004) and "Resident Evil: Afterlife" (2010) also earned top receipts. The academy says his other wins were for "Meatballs" in 1980, "Porky's" in 1983, "Johnny Mnemonic" in 1996 and "The Art of War" in 2000.

The academy will present the award at the first ever Canadian Screen Awards on March 3.