Production Officially Underway On 'Star Trek: Section 31'. A Paramount+ Original Movie Starring Michelle Yeoh

[Outsiders]

Paramount+ today announced that production has begun in Toronto on STAR TREK: SECTION 31, an original movie event starring Academy Award® winner Michelle Yeoh. In STAR TREK: SECTION 31, Yeoh will reprise her fan-favorite role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou – a character she played in STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s first season – who joins a secret division of Starfleet. Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, she also must face the sins of her past.

In addition, it was announced that Omari Hardwick (Power), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Emmy® winner Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso), Sven Ruygrok (One Piece), Robert Kazinsky (Pacific Rim), Humberly Gonzalez (Ginny & Georgia) and James Hiroyuki Liao (Barry) have joined the cast of the original movie event.

“And we’re off to the races! Thrilled to report principal photography has started on STAR TREK: SECTION 31,” said executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “We welcome our incredible cast of new characters as they join our beloved Michelle Yeoh on her next wild adventure across the ‘Trek’ universe.”

Hardwick is best known for his lead role of James 'Ghost' St. Patrick in the hit series Power, which earned him critical acclaim and back-to-back Image Awards (NAACP) for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. Following his success in Power, Hardwick starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the thriller The Mother. Hardwick also starred in the limited series Pieces of Her and Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Next, Hardwick will star in Xeno, from Kevin Hart’s Heartbeat production company. In addition to acting, Hardwick founded the film and production company Bravelife in 2010. A talented actor, Hardwick also is a poet and musical artist; his debut album "Concrete & Whiskey" is on the horizon.

Rohl’s first on-screen appearance was in 2010 in the reboot of the series V. She’s best known for her role as Abigail Hobbs in Hannibal and as Sterling Fitch in The Killing. She played Prudence in the 2011 Warner Bros feature Red Riding Hood, opposite Amanda Seyfried, and portrayed Kerry Campbell in Wayward Pines, Alena in Arrow, and Marina in The Magicians. After starring in the series Fortunate Son, she led the cast of the Toronto Film Festival's buzzy White Lie, which garnered her a spot among TIFF’s Rising Stars platform in 2019.

Richardson is best known for his standout role as Richard Splett on Veep. He most recently earned two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, winning his first Emmy for his role in Ted Lasso. His diverse career includes starring in The Afterparty, Hocus Pocus 2, and Velma and voicing Uncle Brill in DreamWorks' Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken. His notable filmography includes Good Boys, Game Over Man, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Neighbors 2, Senior Year, The Tomorrow War, Werewolves Within, Superintelligence, Detroiters, and Office Christmas Party. On television, he's been seen in The Office, New Girl, Arrested Development and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. Richardson is an alumnus of Second City Chicago MainStage.

Ruygrok is a dynamic South African actor who is well-known for his role as Rambo in the Spud film franchise alongside John Cleese, Troye Sivan, and Caspar Lee. His other films include City of Violence, The Empty Man, Bring It On, and Inside Man: Most Wanted. His most recent works include lead roles in The Good Life and Breathing In (in post-production), and he can be seen as Cabaji in the hit TV series One Piece.

Kazinsky can be seen in the Russo Brothers-directed film The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas, and in the drama Second Chance. He starred opposite Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson in Captain Marvel; opposite Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara in Hot Pursuit, directed by Anne Fletcher; and opposite Alexander Skarsgård and Paul Rudd in Mute for director Duncan Jones and Liberty Films. Kazinsky also appeared in the feature Warcraft for Jones. Previously, Kazinsky starred in Guillermo del Toro's film Pacific Rim, opposite Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba, and was the mysterious love interest to Anna Paquin in True Blood.

Gonzalez next will play a lead in the feature Horrorscope. She stars in the new Star Wars video game Star Wars: Outlaws, stars in the hit series Ginny & Georgia, and was recently seen in Jupiter’s Legacy. She starred in Nobody, opposite Bob Odenkirk and Connie Nielson; Slumberland, opposite Jason Momoa; and the indie A Hundred Lies. She played the lead role in the mini-series Utopia Falls and recurred in the series Nurses. Last year, Humberly played the fan-favorite role of Vanessa in the series In the Dark. Her previous credits include Orphan Black, Saving Hope, Workin’ Moms, and The Detail. Humberly is a graduate of the prestigious CFC Conservatory program in Toronto and the National Theatre School in Montreal.

Liao, a Juilliard-trained character actor, is known for his roles as Edmond Ku in the award-winning series The Dropout and Albert Nguyen in the Emmy-winning series Barry. He is set to appear in the upcoming limited series Presumed Innocent and the first season of Orphan Black: Echoes and continues his recurring role of Lt. Fleming in the new season of Blue Bloods. Liao's recent credits include Cowboy Bebop, opposite John Cho, and Paramount Pictures’ Snake Eyes with Henry Golding. Other notable roles include Michael Pak in the film Lost Girls and voicing Toshiaki in Tim Burton's animated film Frankenweenie. Liao has a diverse range; he’s tackled everything from battling aliens in Battle Los Angeles to displaying his comedic skills in Management with Jennifer Aniston, Woody Harrelson, and Steve Zahn. His television presence includes recurring roles in Paramount+’s SEAL TEAM, Prison Break, CSI, and 24, and guest appearances on shows like Manifest, Iron Fist, and Law & Order.

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.

STAR TREK: SECTION 31 will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and in all international markets where the service is available. The movie is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

[Satam]

Nothing Kurtzman ever did with Star Trek pisses me off more than what he did to Section 31.  As conceived of in DS9 and further utilized in Enterprise it was a clandestine, autonomous, and unsanctioned organization within the Federation that operated outside Starfleet, although there was coordination with individual high-ranking Starfleet officers from time to time. Very few people knew of their existence. Section 31 operated with an authority that its operatives gave to themselves, based on an interpretation of one sentence found in the Starfleet charter. It was mysterious, threatening, and fascinating. It represented some dark and complicated politics in the real world.  I can completely understand why Kurtzman wanted to write it into his scripts, but he misunderstood it on pretty much every conceivable level. Now, because he's in charge of Star Trek, it's canonically a part of Star Fleet Intelligence, and despite saying it's a "secret" over and over again, everybody seems to know about it. He made it ****ing boring. Ira Steven Behr is rolling in his grave, and he isn't even dead.
I'm also convinced that the reason it took so long to get this project off the ground is because Michelle Yeoh signed a contract years ago and tried repeatedly to get out of it. I'm sure this will please fans who've missed seeing Georgiou on their screens, but I'm content to watch Michelle in numerous better things.

 

End rant.

[Outsiders]

Paramount+ today debuted a teaser trailer for its original movie STAR TREK: SECTION 31 during the STAR TREK universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The movie made its Hall H debut with cast members Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson and Kacey Rohl, along with executive producer Alex Kurtzman and director Olatunde Osunsanmi. The panel featured a surprise video "interruption" from the film's star, Oscar(R) winner Michelle Yeoh, who introduced the teaser.

The new teaser also revealed a first look at a young Philippa Georgiou, played by Miku Martineau (Kate).

In the movie, slated to premiere in early 2025, Yeoh reprises her fan-favorite role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou - a character she played in STAR TREK: DISCOVERY's first season - who joins a secret division of Starfleet. Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, she also must face the sins of her past.

STAR TREK: SECTION 31 also stars Omari Hardwick (Power), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Emmy(R) winner Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso), Sven Ruygrok (One Piece), Robert Kazinsky (Pacific Rim), Humberly Gonzalez (Ginny & Georgia) and James Hiroyuki Liao (Barry).

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.

STAR TREK: SECTION 31 will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and in all international markets where the service is available. The movie is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The STAR TREK franchise on Paramount+ also includes the fifth and final season of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, and the new original series STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY, slated to begin production later this year. All seasons of the critically-acclaimed original series STAR TREK: PICARD, starring Patrick Stewart reprising the iconic role of Jean-Luc Picard, are also available to stream.