# Poseidon

> 2006 film by Wolfgang Petersen

**Wikidata**: [Q906633](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q906633)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon_(film))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/poseidon

## Summary
Poseidon is a 2006 disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, serving as a remake of the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure. The movie follows the survivors of a luxury ocean liner that capsizes after being struck by a massive rogue wave.

## Key Facts
- Release date: May 12, 2006 (premiere), June 26, 2006 (Germany), July 12, 2006 (United States)
- Director: Wolfgang Petersen
- Production companies: Warner Bros. Pictures, Virtual Studios, Next Entertainment, Irwin Allen Productions
- Country of origin: United States
- Genre: Action film, disaster film, drama film
- Runtime: 99.0 minutes
- Budget: $160,000,000
- Box office: $60,674,817 (domestic), $181,674,817 (worldwide)
- IMDb ID: tt0409182
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%
- Metacritic score: 50/100
- IMDb rating: 5/10
- Wikidata ID: Q1297628
- Wikipedia title: Poseidon (film)
- Sitelink count: 39

## FAQs
**What is the plot of Poseidon?**
Poseidon follows the passengers and crew of a luxury cruise ship that is capsized by a massive rogue wave on New Year's Eve. The survivors must navigate through the inverted ship to reach the hull and escape before it sinks completely.

**Who directed Poseidon and what is their background?**
Wolfgang Petersen directed Poseidon. He was a German film director known for Das Boot (1981), The NeverEnding Story (1984), In the Line of Fire (1993), Air Force One (1997), and Troy (2004). He was born in 1941 and died in 2022.

**What production companies were involved in making Poseidon?**
Poseidon was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, Virtual Studios, Next Entertainment, and Irwin Allen Productions. Irwin Allen Productions connects the film to the original 1972 Poseidon Adventure.

**How was Poseidon received by critics and audiences?**
Poseidon received mixed reviews, with a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 50/100 score on Metacritic. It has an IMDb rating of 5/10, indicating generally average reception from audiences.

**What is the connection between Poseidon and The Poseidon Adventure?**
Poseidon is a remake of the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, which was based on Paul Gallico's novel. The original film was produced by Irwin Allen, whose production company was involved in the 2006 remake.

## Why It Matters
Poseidon matters as a modern reimagining of a classic disaster film formula that helped define the genre in the 1970s. The film represents Hollywood's continued interest in large-scale disaster spectacles and showcases advanced visual effects technology that allowed for more realistic depictions of catastrophic events compared to earlier films. As a remake of The Poseidon Adventure, it connects contemporary audiences to a significant piece of cinematic history while demonstrating how disaster narratives evolve with changing technology and audience expectations. The film also represents Wolfgang Petersen's transition from German cinema to Hollywood blockbusters, showcasing his ability to handle large-scale action sequences and ensemble casts.

## Notable For
- Remake of the classic 1972 disaster film The Poseidon Adventure
- Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, known for Das Boot and Air Force One
- Featured advanced visual effects for its time depicting a massive rogue wave
- Had a substantial budget of $160 million
- Starred an ensemble cast including Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, and Richard Dreyfuss
- Released during the summer blockbuster season of 2006
- Demonstrated Hollywood's continued investment in disaster film genre
- Connected to Irwin Allen Productions, linking it to the original film's legacy

## Body

### Production and Development
Poseidon was developed as a modern remake of the 1972 classic The Poseidon Adventure, which itself was based on Paul Gallico's novel. The production was a collaboration between major Hollywood studios, with Warner Bros. Pictures serving as the primary distributor. The film was produced by Virtual Studios, Next Entertainment, and Irwin Allen Productions, the latter connecting the project to the original film's producer.

The project was greenlit with a substantial budget of $160,000,000, reflecting the studio's confidence in the disaster film genre and the director's track record. Wolfgang Petersen, who had previously directed successful action and disaster films like Air Force One and The Perfect Storm, was brought on to direct the remake.

### Cast and Characters
The film featured an ensemble cast of established actors and rising stars. The main cast included Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum, and Jacinda Barrett. The characters represented a cross-section of typical disaster film archetypes - the reluctant hero, the protective father, the suicidal gay man finding new purpose, and the young couple facing their relationship challenges.

### Visual Effects and Technical Achievement
Poseidon showcased advanced visual effects technology for its time, particularly in the depiction of the rogue wave that capsizes the ship. The film's visual effects team created realistic water simulations and destruction sequences that represented significant advancements from the practical effects used in the 1972 original. The production involved extensive use of CGI to create the massive ocean liner and the catastrophic events that befall it.

### Release and Distribution
The film had its world premiere on May 12, 2006, followed by releases in Germany on June 26, 2006, and in the United States on July 12, 2006. The summer release date positioned it as a major blockbuster competing with other high-profile releases of that season. Warner Bros. Pictures handled the global distribution, leveraging their extensive theatrical network.

### Reception and Performance
Poseidon received mixed critical reception, earning a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 50/100 score on Metacritic. The film's IMDb rating of 5/10 suggests average audience reception. Despite its substantial budget and marketing push, the film's box office performance was moderate, grossing $60,674,817 domestically and $181,674,817 worldwide. This performance was considered underwhelming given the high production costs, though it did eventually recoup its budget through worldwide theatrical release.

### Genre and Context
As a disaster film, Poseidon follows established genre conventions while updating them for contemporary audiences. The film combines elements of action, drama, and survival thriller, focusing on human drama against the backdrop of catastrophic events. It represents Hollywood's continued investment in disaster narratives, particularly those involving large-scale destruction and survival scenarios.

### Connection to Original Film
The involvement of Irwin Allen Productions in the remake creates a direct connection to the 1972 original. While the 2006 version updates the story with modern visual effects and a faster pace, it maintains the core premise of passengers struggling to survive after their ocean liner capsizes. The remake approach reflects Hollywood's tendency to revisit successful properties with contemporary filmmaking techniques.

### Director's Career Context
Poseidon came during Wolfgang Petersen's successful Hollywood period, following films like Air Force One (1997) and The Perfect Storm (2000). The film represented another large-scale production in Petersen's career, though it came after his critically acclaimed work on Troy (2004). Petersen's background in both German cinema (particularly Das Boot) and Hollywood action films made him well-suited to handle the technical and dramatic challenges of a disaster film remake.

### Cultural Impact
While not achieving the classic status of the original film, Poseidon contributed to the ongoing evolution of the disaster film genre. The film's depiction of a luxury cruise ship disaster tapped into contemporary anxieties about maritime travel safety and the vulnerability of modern engineering to natural forces. The movie also continued the tradition of ensemble disaster films that focus on diverse groups of characters facing life-threatening situations together.

### Technical Specifications
The film has a runtime of 99.0 minutes, making it a relatively concise entry in the disaster film genre, which often features longer runtimes. The production utilized extensive soundstage work combined with visual effects to create the inverted ship environment. The technical crew included experienced professionals in visual effects, production design, and cinematography who worked to create the film's immersive disaster sequences.

### Legacy
Poseidon stands as a representative example of early 2000s Hollywood disaster filmmaking, showcasing the industry's capabilities in visual effects and large-scale production design. While not achieving the cultural impact of some other disaster films, it remains a notable entry in Wolfgang Petersen's filmography and in the broader context of disaster film remakes. The film's moderate commercial performance and mixed critical reception reflect the challenges of remaking beloved classics while meeting contemporary audience expectations.

## References

1. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409182/)
2. [Source](http://stopklatka.pl/film/posejdon-2006)
3. [Source](http://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film964595.html)
4. [Source](http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Poseidon#tab=video-sales)
5. [Source](http://www.metacritic.com/movie/poseidon)
6. [Source](http://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film964595.html)
7. Swedish Film Database
8. [Source](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409182/fullcredits)
9. Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze
10. The Movie Database
11. Poseidon. Rotten Tomatoes
12. [Source](http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=poseidon.htm)
13. [Source](http://www.sfi.se/sv/svensk-filmdatabas/Item/?itemid=63283&type=MOVIE&iv=Basic)
14. [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409182/releaseinfo)
15. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
16. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409182/parentalguide)
17. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409182/technical/)
18. [Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0409182/)
19. Kinopoisk
20. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/poseidon/)
21. Entertainment Identifier Registry
22. terjesztesre_kerulo_filmalkotasok_nyilvantartasa.xlsx
23. List of film licenses issued from 1945 to 2020
24. [Source](https://www.cnc.fr/professionnels/visas-et-classification/115517)
25. Cineplex
26. Online-Filmdatenbank
27. Bechdel Test Movie List
28. mymovies.it
29. Danish Film Database
30. Trakt.tv
31. FilmVandaag.nl