‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Starring Michelle Yeoh Is Happening — as Movie Event
We’re finally going to get more of Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou!
Paramount+ has announced that it has officially greenlit Star Trek: Section 31, a special movie event, with Yeoh reprising the role she first played in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 and serving as an executive producer. (It was originally in development as a series.) In the movie, Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past. Production will begin later this year.
“I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family and to the role I’ve loved for so long,” Yeoh said in a statement. “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)!”
Added 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, Philippa Georgiou. She broke new ground as one of the first two women on screen in the pilot to usher in a new age of Trek, and now, six years later, Star Trek: Section 31 finally arrives on the heels of her latest groundbreaking win. Everyone on Team Trek couldn’t be more thrilled to have our legendary friend return home to us as we expand our storytelling into new and uncharted corners of the Trekverse. Long live Emperor Georgiou; long live Michelle Yeoh!”
Michael Gibson/CBS
Joining Kurtzman and Yeoh as executive producers are Craig Sweeny, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth. Star Trek: Section 31 will be written by Sweeny and directed by Osunsanmi. It is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
“For years, we’ve been looking forward to Michelle Yeoh one day returning to Star Trek,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “Her powerful performance as Captain and Emperor Georgiou was a pivotal moment for the return of the franchise, and her portrayal resonated with fans around the world in a multitude of ways.”
It was back in January 2019, before CBS All Access was rebranded to Paramount+, that a series centered around Yeoh was first reported to be in development. Yeoh was last seen on Star Trek: Discovery in Season 3, leaving behind Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) for the unknown.
“We have a lot more stories to tell,” Yeoh told TV Insider at the time of a potential Section 31 series. As for what she wanted to see then, “I don’t want her ever to lose all the edge that she has because Emperor Georgiou, Philippa Georgiou, especially this Terran Georgiou has a purity of honesty that is important, but at the same time, she has learned compassion and humanity along the way and a realization that you can’t rule by fear itself. It will not work. Maybe in the short term, but not in the long run.”
We can’t wait to see what happens in this new movie event, considering we love everything we can get of Yeoh everywhere!
Star Trek: Section 31, Movie Event, TBA, Paramount+
