The new Star Trek has proved itself and then some at the box office, pulling out in front of the pack as the top grossing picture of the year so far. It has racked up an impressive $194.8 million to date, compared with $194 million for Monsters vs. Aliens, and $166 million for X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
That's very good news for Paramount, which posted a $124 million loss for the first quarter of 2009, and was banking heavily on the sci-fi epic's success. And it is good news for fans too, since it almost certainly means lots more Trek to come.
One sequel at least has already gotten the green light, and in an added sign of confidence, the franchise is being promoted to investors as having an even bigger role in the studio's future. As part of its new strategic plan, Paramount's parent company Viacom says it plans to pare down the number of pictures the studio releases and rely more heavily on franchises like Star Trek and Iron Man for its future viability.