Yeoh will return as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in a ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ spinoff.
In the film, Georgiou “joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.” The project will be written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, both Discovery veterans.
“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)!”
“For years, we’ve been looking forward to Michelle Yeoh one day returning to Star Trek,” adds 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.”
Section 31 has had a long voyage to a greenlight. In 2019, it went into active development with Yeoh attached. Sometime after that, public statements about Section 31 seemed to get less optimistic, with Kurtzman having to reassure fans the project was “still very much alive.”
Then in March, Yeoh won the Oscar for best actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once and Paramount+ looked like they might have missed an opportunity.
The news is the latest of Paramount+’s recent Star Trek moves. The streamer recently ordered a teen-centric Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series, as well as ended Picard (which airs its series finale this week), and announced Discovery will air its fifth and final season next year, while doubling down on more Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks (which were both renewed ahead of their upcoming season premieres).
Produced by CBS Studios, Section 31 will start production will later this year.
