How long have we been listening to rumors and whispers on this one? Well, that makes sense, given that it’s about a secret division of Starfleet. But it’s real: Star Trek: Section 31, starring Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, has been officially greenlit, and will begin production later this year.
But here’s an unexpected twist: It’s a movie.
A press release calls Section 31 a “special original movie event for [Paramount+].” Why not a series? No one is saying, though it does seem safe to assume that Yeoh’s post-Everything Everywhere All at Once dance card might be a little full.
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And it would be downright churlish to complain about getting to see Yeoh once again play Emperor Philippa Georgiou, which she has done since the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. The brief summary of the film says only that Georgiou “joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.”
According to Star Trek captain/Section 31 executive producer Alex Kurtzman, “All the way back in 2017, before the first season of Star Trek: Discovery had even aired, Michelle had the idea to do a spin-off for her character.” Said spinoff is written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, who both spent time with Georgiou on Discovery: Sweeny as a writer and consulting producer, and Osunsanmi as executive producer and director. (Yeoh is also an executive producer on the film.)
In a press release, Yeoh said, “Section 31 has been near and dear to my heart since I began the journey of playing Philippa all the way back when this new golden age of ‘Star Trek’ launched. To see her finally get her moment is a dream come true in a year that’s shown me the incredible power of never giving up on your dreams. We can’t wait to share what’s in store for you, and until then: live long and prosper (unless Emperor Georgiou decrees otherwise)!”
No premiere date was announced.
