Over the centuries literature has perpetuated the image of the stereotypical pirate. With the invention of motion pictures in the 1900s, that image was greatly enhanced, as actors ranging from Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power to Geena Davis and Johnny Depp portrayed pirates whose personalities and adventures appeared larger than life. In literature, seafaring rogues have pillaged, avenged, and raped their way across the oceans and ports of the world. On screen, they've done much the same, only their adventures have taken on a decidedly romanticized fervor. Among the many genres of film, pirates have held their own over the decades, though they haven't been particularly profitable. This changed during the twenty-first century, however, when a renewed interest in piracy led to the overwhelming success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.