Michelle Yeoh Leads ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ in Paramount+ Debut

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Michelle Yeoh reprises her fan-favorite role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the highly anticipated Paramount+ film, ‘Star Trek: Section 31,’ set to premiere on Jan. 24, 2025. The movie, directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, marks the first Star Trek film of the Paramount+ era and centers on Georgiou’s journey as she joins a secretive Starfleet division.

Yeoh’s character, Philippa Georgiou, first introduced in ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ is a complex figure who embodies unpredictability, danger, and redemption. Osunsanmi, who also serves as executive producer, describes the film as visually inspired by Georgiou’s personality. ‘She is unpredictable, she is dangerous, she is relentless,’ Osunsanmi told Entertainment Weekly. ‘Instead of a man on fire, you have a woman on fire.’

The film follows Georgiou as she runs a nightclub called the Baraam before being recruited into Section 31, a black-ops division of Starfleet. The team includes Alok Sahar (Omari Hardwick), the suave leader; Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), a by-the-books Starfleet officer; Quasi (Sam Richardson), a shape-shifting Chameloid; Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), a mechanically enhanced operative; Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok), a hacker with a mysterious past; and Melle (Humberly González), a Deltan femme fatale. The mission, shrouded in secrecy, forces Georgiou to confront her past, with flashbacks featuring a younger version of the character played by Miku Martineau.

Osunsanmi emphasized the unique visual style of the film, which mirrors Georgiou’s unpredictable nature. ‘We get unpredictable lenses. We could be in this lens, but then it could zoom in, it could zoom back out,’ he said. The production team even reconstructed camera equipment to create distinct visual effects, such as digital bokeh for mission scenes and horizontal ovals for the nightclub setting.

The costumes and set design also reflect Georgiou’s influence, with vibrant pinks, purples, and blues not typically seen in previous Star Trek productions. ‘Everything is just a bit more on edge and unpredictable, which mirrors Philippa Georgiou’s personality,’ Osunsanmi added.

‘Star Trek: Section 31’ was initially conceived as a spinoff series in 2019 but evolved into a feature film after delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes. Osunsanmi credits the persistence of producer Alex Kurtzman, Aaron Baiers, and Yeoh herself for bringing the project to fruition. ‘I can’t believe that we actually are on the verge of releasing it to the world after all of that,’ he said.

The film will debut on Paramount+ in the U.S. and international markets on Jan. 24, 2025, followed by a release on SkyShowtime in Europe on Feb. 7. Fans can expect a fresh take on the Star Trek universe, blending espionage, action, and character-driven storytelling.