Fresh off her Oscar win for Everything, Everywhere All At Once, Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh is set to reprise her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in a new Star Trek original movie event being produced exclusively for Paramount+. The new movie project has been officially greenlit as Star Trek: Section 31, and production is slated to kick off later this year.
MICHELLE YEOH RETURNING FOR STAR TREK: SECTION 31 EVENT FILM ON PARAMOUNT+
Yeoh will reprise the character, Emperor Georgiou, whom she first played during the first season of Star Trek: Discovery on the streamer. The new film is being produced by CBS Studios. In the upcoming film, Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret black ops division of Starfleet that is tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.
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Speaking on the news via a press release, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh commented, “I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family and to the role I’ve loved for so long.” She continued, “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)!”
The new project will be executive produced by Discovery executive producer Alex Kurtzman. He added, “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.”
He went on, “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, 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!”
Paramount Streaming Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Data Domenic DiMeglio also weighed in, “We’re thrilled that STAR TREK: SECTION 31 will be the next title in our Star Trek universe.” He continued, “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.”
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“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.”
The upcoming feature will be written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunda Osunsanmi. It will be executive produced by Kurtzman, Sweeny, Aaron Baiers, Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, and Yeoh. It’s being produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
Section 31 does not yet have an official release date. It will stream exclusively on Paramount+ later on.
What do you think of the news? Are you looking forward to Michelle Yeoh returning as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek: Section 31? Are you excited about a new event movie featuring the covert group? Let us know how you feel about the news on The Illuminerdi Twitter account.
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SOURCE: Paramount+
