John Cusack in survival mode for "2012"

CEBU, Philippines - As an actor who has made his name as a champion of independent movies, often playing the anti-hero or the unconventional outsider, John Cusack’s name at the top of the credits for Roland Emmerich’s end-of-the-world epic “2012” might raise a few eyebrows.

A special-effects laden movie is new territory for a man who has carved out a uniquely individual career with whip smart comedies like “High Fidelity,” or the gloriously surreal “Being John Malkovich” or the hip thriller “1408.”

But Cusack applied the same critical criteria to the script for “2012” as he does for all the rest that drop on to his doormat. Quite simply, he asks himself, is it any good?

“And it was,” he says. “Really good. In a way, it sort of chose me. I was just at home doing my thing and I get a call saying ‘Roland wants you to do this movie.’ “I met him and I read the script and it was actually very well written and surprising in lots of ways. It wasn’t like a genre disaster movie, it was very different to what I expected and so it was a kind of easy choice for me.”

And the thing is, Cusack is never predictable. “2012” represents new territory and that’s exactly what he’s always looking for. “That’s part of the fun, to try new things. At least that’s how I look at it. And this was something new for me.”

“2012” does indeed feature extraordinary effects. But it’s also a story about basic human emotions – love, redemption, the desire to survive and protect your family. And the characters are extremely well drawn, says the actor.

Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, a writer who has become obsessed with his work to the extent where it’s cost him his marriage and separation from his two children. “His wife has left him because he’s too focused on his writing,” says Cusack. “They have two kids together, but she’s now with a doctor, and so you really get sucked into the family drama. Actually the script was all about these very simple, family things and Roland was very focused on telling that story with all of this other, amazing stuff happening as well. When everything starts to happen and the world is facing the ultimate disaster, his own over-riding instinct to get to his family and try, somehow, to save them. That’s a powerful emotion – it’s a family literally trying to stay alive as these cataclysmic events are happening all around them.”

On the film’s end-of-days premise, Cusack says “No, I don’t think the world will end. I think maybe it will just be a change in consciousness in 2012. I think there will be a big shift in consciousness. Either that or it really will be the end,” Cusack laughs. “I obviously hope it’s not.”

There’s a worldwide fascination for prophecies that foretell doom and disaster and Cusack admits that, as a child growing up in Illinois he was transfixed by stories of apocalyptic nightmares. “I think a lot of people are already kind of obsessed with the Mayan Prophecies. There’s a real fascination for that kind of thing,” he says. “I know when I first read about Nostradamus it hooked me. Who doesn’t want to read that - it’s endlessly fascinating, right? It just trips you out. It’s great. No matter if you want to believe it or you think it’s all crackpot stuff, I think it’s undeniably compelling.”

Opening soon across the Philippines, “2012” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.