Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh – and yes, it feels great to write that – is finally ready to head back to the universe of Star Trek, albeit in a slightly different way. While the Trek franchise team at Paramount+ had been developing a series based around her Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the idea will now be turned into a "event movie" for the streaming service called Star Trek: Section 31.
As with the series, will see Georgiou – an alternate universe version of the Captain first seen in Star Trek: Discovery's initial episode – joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.
Section 31, a special intelligence service, was originally introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Georgiou was approached about the organisation while on the Klingon home world in a deleted scene from Season 1.
"I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family and to the role I’ve loved for so long,” Yeoh says. "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," says 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!"
Craig Sweeny will write and executive produce the film, with Discovery veteran Olatunde Osunsanmi directs. Production will kick off later this year.