Michelle Yeoh Back on Team ‘Trek’ With ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Movie

Paramount Plus
(Image credit: ViacomCBS)

Paramount Plus has greenlit the movie Star Trek: Section 31, with Michelle Yeoh starring. Yeoh will play Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who she played in season one of Star Trek: Discovery. 

In the movie, the emperor 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.

“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 Plus family and can’t wait for fans to see what this special movie event has in store.”

Paramount Plus’s Star Trek properties include Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks and Picard.  

“I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family and to the role I’ve loved for so long,” said 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)!”

Yeoh’s movies include Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching  Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Everything Everywhere All at Once.   

Written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, 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.

“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!”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.