Which Star Trek Film Made The Most Money?

Over the generations (no pun intended), the "Star Trek" franchise has expanded from the original series featuring James T. Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Scotty, to others that have made household names of Jean-Luc Picard, Will Riker, Data, Kathryn Janeway, and others. Fans have seen the show go even further into the far-flung future with a series that preceded the day that William Shatner's Kirk took the helm of the Starship Enterprise. The show took the leap from television to the big screen, starting with "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," leading to many sequels (as well as reboots), per TechRadar

The longevity of the franchise has made people who were in it mainstays at events like comic conventions. Fans who gladly dress up as the characters from the show are more than willing to buy merchandise. There are plenty of people who still proudly call themselves "Trekkers." 

Not surprisingly, that means that there have been a lot of successful movies, while others were not quite a big box-office draw. The one that got the most money might be a big surprise to fans. 

Chris Pine was the star of the most lucrative Star Trek movie

The most lucrative of the movies in the franchise did not star William Shatner or Patrick Stewart. Chris Pine (above) was the one who was in the captain's role in the 2009 reboot that drew in $257 million domestically, which made it the most successful in America, per IMDb. The rest of the world also counts when movie revenue is tallied, though. The sequel, "Into Darkness," wound up grossing almost half a billion dollars ($467 million) worldwide in 2013, so that film holds the overall title of the "Star Trek" film that drew in the most money. 

Right now,  as lucrative as it has been, the "Star Trek" franchise seems to be at a loss of visionary leadership, reports Forbes. It has been far surpassed by the "Star Wars" juggernaut for which Disney continues to create more content, such as the series "The Mandalorian" and the upcoming "The Book of Boba Fett," plus movies. There is another "Trek" film in the pipeline for 2023, but it hasn't even been given a title yet, according to Chris Pine's page on IMDb. Will something happen to bring back the "Star Trek" fan base, or will "Into Darkness" still be the worldwide titleholder in terms of revenue?