Airport was the surprise hit that started the 1970s disaster cycle, and The Poseidon Adventure is the film that turned its accidental formula into a genre. The formula is an ensemble of established stars, each given a compact private crisis before the catastrophe, so the audience knows who to worry about when the ordeal begins; a confined setting that fails piece by piece; and a running order in which the cast is reduced. Poseidon keeps all of it and swaps the airport for a capsized liner. Airport also proved the commercial case: it was one of the highest-grossing films of its year and every studio wanted one.