Michelle Yeoh returns to Star Trek for a new movie

After winning an Academy Award for her performance in Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, there was one obvious destination Michelle Yeoh was headed next: Space. Yeoh is returning to the Final Frontier with the announcement of Star Trek: Section 31, a one-off “movie event” for Paramount+ to begin production later this year.

The movie will see Yeoh return to the role of Philippa Georgiou from Star Trek: Discovery, as she joins the nefarious secret division of Starfleet that was originally introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine decades earlier; for those unfamiliar with Trek, Section 31 is basically the closest to a spy organization in Starfleet, although that occasionally means that it acts outside of the optimistic aims and operating parameters of Starfleet’s public face — something that will likely align very well with the Mirror Universe Georgiou, who’s more than slightly morally ambiguous herself.

“I’m beyond thrilled to return to my Star Trek family and to the role I’ve loved for so long,” Yeoh says in a statement. “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 project has been rumored for years — and, according to executive producer and current head of all things Trek Alex Kurtzman, in the works for even longer.

“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 reveals. “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, Star Trek: 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!” 

Section 31’s announcement follows the recent announcement of the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series,and is the first “special movie event” from the franchise created for Paramount+. The movie will be written by Craig Sweeny, who worked on Star Trek: Discovery’s first couple of seasons as a consulting producer, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, who’s directed multiple episodes of Discovery, as well as episodes of Showtime’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, and A&E’s Bates Motel.

Star Trek: Section 31 will begin production later this year, according to Paramount+; no release date has been set.

Even as Section 31 gets announced, Star Trek: Discovery prepares to end with its fifth season in 2024.