Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery cast Michelle Yeoh in a double role: first as Captain Philippa Georgiou, a mentor to the young Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), and then a fully armored Mirror Universe version of Georgiou who preferred smashing skulls to diplomatic negotiations. Since then, Yeoh has joined the Marvel Universe, shot a few Avatar moviesdid a Witcher show and, of course, won a Best Actress Oscar for the best picture winner Everything Everywhere Everything at once. Yeoh would (and probably will) cash in on the credit of doing just about anything after that… but for now, her main directive reverts to Trek.
Paramount announced on Tuesday that Yeoh is pregnant for a long time Article 31 was officially a go, with production slated to begin later in 2023. Article 31 has been a dream of Star Trek franchise overseer Alex Kurtzman since the days of CBS All Access, and was formally announced in 2019 as a Discovery spin off show. But over time – and perhaps thanks to that Oscar in her pocket – the theoretical series has become a one-shot. Still, based on comments in Paramount’s press release, Yeoh remains pumped.
“I am beyond excited to return to my Star Trek family and the role I have loved for so long,” Yeoh said in a statement. “Article 31 has been close to my heart ever since I started the journey of playing Philippa, all the way back when this new golden age of Star Trek kicked off. To see her finally get her moment is a dream come true in a year that has shown me the incredible strength to never give 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 decides otherwise)!”
“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,” Kurtzman said. “She broke new ground as one of the first two women on screen in the pilot that ushered in a new era of Trek, and now, six years later, Star Trek: Section 31 finally comes on the heels of her latest groundbreaking victory. Everyone on Team Trek couldn’t be more excited to have our legendary friend come home to us as we tell our stories to new and uncharted corners of the Trekverse. Long live Emperor Georgiou; long live Michelle Yeoh!”
In recent years there have been few updates on what Article 31 is really about, except for the basics: the spin-off would focus on the mysterious Federation organization, which was known for its more black-ops approach to keeping the intergalactic peace. “Section 31” refers to the original Starfleet charter that gave people like Georgiou Jack Bauer-level authorization to do what needed to be done. Music to please Georgiou’s ears, of course.
The Article 31 announcement comes on the heels of the final season of Star Trek: Picard, and rumors that Paramount Plus may be shutting down most of the remaining Trek shows. The streamer announced this in February Star Trek: Discovery would end after the upcoming fifth season, while the animated series Lower decks And Prodigy could end after their next seasons. In the meantime, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which has a Season 2 in the works and is set to premiere in June, preemptively got its Season 3 renewal in March. Paramount Plus also has a few Trek replacements in the works; the company has announced a Starfleet Academy show for 2024, and the team behind it Picard has made it clear that they want to continue telling stories in that timeline with a proposal Star Trek: Legacy.
But for now there is Article 31. The film, written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi (both Star Trek: Discovery vets), will bring Yeoh back into the herd for another adventure. There is no definite release date yet, but 2024 seems promising. After that, the franchise boldly goes… somewhere else.