Movies News Talk
Winner of the Academy Awards Headlining Star Trek: Section 31, Michelle Yeoh provides all we know about the first Star Trek streaming film from Paramount+. Craig Sweeny wrote Section 31, under direction from Olatunde Osunsanmi. Yeoh reprises her character as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the former Mirror Universe ruler who joined Section 31 in Star Trek: Discovery season 2.
Michelle Yeoh first proposed Section 31 as an ongoing series branching off from Star Trek: Discovery. Development on a Star Trek: Section 31 series started in January 2019; it was set to premiere May to November 2020. Written out of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 to transition Yeoh's character, Emperor Georgiou, into Section 31 But the COVID-19 epidemic stopped Section 31's manufacturing. Yeoh's availability affected Section 31 particularly in relation to her Best Actress Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh, however, used her Oscar power to bring Section 31 into production—this time as a feature film available on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Section 31 is the first film produced for Paramount+ meant for streaming. Additionally the first Star Trek film produced since Star Trek Beyond opened theatres in 2016 is Section 31. Since there is no indication it will be set on a Starfleet starship or space station and will explore the dark history of the United Federation of Planets' top secret black ops agency, Section 31 is also considered to be a quite different style of Star Trek story.
Should Star Trek: Section 31 prove successful on Paramount+, it creates the avenue for a sequel carrying on Emperor Georgiou's exploits. Section 31 becoming a smash also implies the two-hour Star Trek on Paramount+ becomes a feasible choice for next productions. New Star Trek ideas or maybe other Star Trek fans wish for, like the Star Trek: Picard continuation Star Trek: Legacy, might find made-for-Streaming Movies on Paramount+.
Appropriately, the narrative of Star Trek: Section 31 is veiled in mystery. But at least part of Section 31 occurs in Star Trek's "lost era," early 24th century before the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 also addresses time travel since Emperor Georgiou leaps back 800 years from the 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery. Star Trek: Section 31's official synopsis runs as follows:
Emperor Philippa Georgiou confronts her previous transgressions in Star Trek: Section 31 after joining a covert division of Starfleet charged with defending the United Federation of Planets.
Sam Richardson, Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Rob Kazinsky, Sven Ruygrok, Humberly Gonzalez, James Hiroyuki Liao, Joe Pingue, Miku Martineau, Augusto Bitter join Michelle Yeoh in Star Trek: Section 31. Though specifics on the figures Rohl portrays have not been made public, one fascinating fact has surfaced: Rohl plays Rachell Garrett's younger counterpart. Tricia O'Neill portrayed Garrett, the doomed future Captain of the USS Enterprise-C, in the venerable Star Trek: The Next Generation classic, "Yesterday's Enterprise".
Star Trek: Section 31's Paramount+ release date is yet unknown. Though there's a possibility it might potentially drop late in 2024 when the last season of Star Trek: Lower Decks ends, Section 31 will most likely premiere in 2025. Filming for Section 31 finished in March, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast members joined Section 31's actors for their Toronto wrap-party. Though the post-production status of Star Trek: Section 31 is unknown, the film will be locked for its ultimate premiere on Paramount+.
As Star Trek's first streaming film, Section 31 carries a lot of weight. Section 31 not premiering until 2025 makes sense considering Paramount+ lacks Star Trek material next year. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, which will most likely also premiere on Paramount+ in 2025, is the only other wrapped Star Trek production. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the following series, doesn't begin filming until fall 2024 for a possible 2026 premiere. As Star Trek's first streaming film, this means a lot is riding on Star Trek: Section 31, but viewers already know never to undervalue Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Georgiou.