First announced as a series concept all the way back in January 2019, the long-gestating return of Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek: Discovery character — Terran emperor-turned Section 31 operative Philippa Georgiou — is finally coming to fruition.
The recent Oscar winner (Best Actress, Everything Everywhere All at Once) departed Star Trek: Discovery in 2020’s “Terra Firma, Part 2” after her character was forced to leave the 32nd century through the Guardian of Forever; Georgiou’s fate has been a mystery since she stepped through the ancient time portal.
Now, more than four years after plans the Yeoh-led Section 31 project was first made public, the high-profile star will be returning to the Star Trek fold in an “original movie event” for Paramount+ which is set to begin production later in 2023.
Here’s the official announcement from Paramount+, which notes that the “movie event” will be directed by Star Trek: Discovery’s longstanding Toronto-based executive producer and director Olatunde Osunsanmi, and written by Craig Sweeny (“Context is for Kings”).
PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES “STAR TREK: SECTION 31”
ORIGINAL MOVIE EVENT STARRING OSCAR® WINNER MICHELLE YEOH
Yeoh to Reprise Her Fan-Favorite Role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou,
First Introduced in “Star Trek: Discovery”
From CBS Studios, “Star Trek: Section 31” Will Begin Production Later This Year
April 18, 2023 – Paramount+ today announced it has officially greenlit STAR TREK: SECTION 31 starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh. In this special original movie event for the service, Yeoh will return to her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, a character she first played in STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s first season.
In STAR TREK: SECTION 31, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past. Produced by CBS Studios, 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,” said Michelle Yeoh. “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)!”
“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,” said executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “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!”
"I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family."
Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh will star in #StarTrekSection31, a special movie event coming to @ParamountPlus! pic.twitter.com/QHKYim06PC— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) April 18, 2023
“We’re thrilled that STAR TREK: SECTION 31 will be the next title in our ‘Star Trek’ universe,” said Domenic DiMeglio, chief marketing officer and head of data at Paramount Streaming. “Michelle Yeoh is an incomparable talent – she brought Emperor Georgiou to life in such an incredibly fun and nuanced way that the character immediately became a fan favorite. We’re so thrilled to welcome Michelle back to the ‘Star Trek’ and Paramount+ family and can’t wait for fans to see what this special movie event has in store.”
“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. We couldn’t be prouder to join forces with Michelle once again as we continue to explore the ‘Star Trek’ universe, celebrate its legacy and chart a course for the future of the franchise.”
Written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, STAR TREK: SECTION 31 is executive produced by Alex Kurtzman, Craig Sweeny, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Michelle Yeoh, and is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
Unsurprisingly, constraints on the popular actor’s availability (and salary demands, no doubt) have caused the Section 31 concept to contract from the once-announced television series to this special “movie event” — and notably, Discovery writing partners Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt (who were announced as showrunners of the Section 31 project when the concept was first announced four years ago) do not appear to be involved with the movie.
And for those of you no doubt asking, “Wait, last week was First Contact Day… where was this announcement then?” — it’s likely that the streamer didn’t have the necessary agreements in place with Yeoh to formally announce the project in time for the April 5 celebration date, otherwise it’s certain that this would have been the big First Contact Day headline.
What are your thoughts about the Section 31 news, now that the project is FINALLY moving forward after all these years? Let us know in the comments below!