Posted in: Paramount+, TV | Tagged: michelle yeoh, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Section 31

Star Trek: Osunsanmi Previews Michelle Yeoh-Starring "Section 31"

Star Trek: Section 31 director Olatunde Osunsanmi on why fans can still jump into the action even if they haven't seen Georgiou's story.

With the finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks, it might be a long while before we see a dedicated series back on streaming with the uncertain fate of Netflix's Prodigy and no firm dates on season three of Strange New Worlds (2025) and Discovery spinoff Starfleet Academy (2025/2026). At the very least, fans will have the upcoming Discovery spinoff film Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, off to her new journey thanks to the Guardian of Forever as a member of Section 31, the top-secret Starfleet organization. The brief synopsis Paramount+ released for its spinoff feature, "Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, she also must face the sins of her past." Paramount released their "View from the Peak" press preview with director and Discovery EP Olatunde Osunsanmi talking (via TrekMovie.com) to provide some context on what to expect.

Star Trek: Section 31 Director Olatunde Asunsanmi on Georgiou's Journey Through Time & Space

Star Trek: Section 31 features an ensemble cast, including a familiar face from The Next Generation's past: Rachel Garrett, the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise-C, now played by Kacey Rohl. Joining her and Yeoh are Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson, Sven Roygrok, Robert Kazinksy, Humberly Gonzalez, James Hiroyuki, Rob Kazinsky, and Miku Martineau.

Regarding the film's aim, "We tried to come out and go big. Big stakes emotionally, big stakes for the characters in our story," Osunsanmi said. "In comparison to many other series that have come in this era (because we all love to compare!), the stakes are as profound as any that we've seen, but with a particular character-driven twist that I hope will surprise and delight people who watch the movie."

Much as Discovery was about Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham's life and rise to captain, Section 31 provides that from Yeoh's Georgiou, "Part of what makes this movie so unique is that it is tied inextricably to Georgiou. She's got a fantastic backstory, which is epic in its breadth," Osunsanmi said. "It spans time and space in ways that most characters don't have the opportunity to explore – like Christmas morning presents for our audience. Having the opportunity to work with Michelle again has been pure, unmitigated joy. However amazing you think it might be to work with her, multiply it by ten, and you will then understand the feeling!" while adding Section 31 won't require any prior knowledge of canon to enjoy. Section 31 premieres January 24th on Paramount+.

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