Star Trek: Section 31 director Olatunde Osunsanmi says that the upcoming film encapsulates a wide variety of exciting tones that will fit nicely with the modern Star Trek era. Star Trek: Section 31 follows Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), the leader of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe who has traveled to the Prime Universe, as she joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets. It marks the first television film in the Star Trek franchise, and the first feature Trek film since 2016's Star Trek: Beyond.
Speaking with Screen Rant at New York Comic Con, Osunsanmi praised the vision of Alex Kurtzman, executive producer of the TV series Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, as well as 2009's Star Trek and 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness. Osunsanmi stated that fans can expect a little bit of everything from the world of Star Trek that Kurtzman has expanded upon and that they can expect a lot of surprises as well. Here's what Osunsanmi had to say about the film:
Well, that's the amazing thing about what Alex has built out in this iteration of Star Trek is it does have all of these unbelievable flavors and all these unbelievable colors in the rainbow for different fans to access. Fans will have, "This is my favorite, this is my favorite, this is my favorite."
Well, if you want a wild ride that is jaw-dropping, has twists and turns, blows your socks off, characters that are doing things that maybe they shouldn't do, plus a little bit of Starfleet with Rachel in there, that is still Star Trek, then this is the movie for you. It's great. We get in and out and we surprise a lot of people with it and then we keep it moving. So I'm really hoping people like it.
What Osunsanmi's Statement Means For Stark Trek: Section 31
Perhaps A Darker Tone For the Film
Very little information has been released about Star Trek: Section 31, so it's difficult to say what can be expected from the film. It has been stated that Georgiou will be facing the sins of her past, which means we will likely be seeing more about her life in the Mirror Universe, though that is speculative. The idea of "unbelievable colors in the rainbow" in Osunsanmu's statement may indicate that perhaps a range in tone within the film can be expected. Given Georgiou’s past, a darker take on Trek is not out of the question.
The idea of "unbelievable colors in the rainbow" in Osunsanmu's statement may indicate that perhaps a range in tone within the film can be expected.
Joining Yeoh in Section 31 will be Omari Hardwick (Power, Army of the Dead, Kick-Ass), Kacey Rohl (Wayward Pines, White Lie, Arrow), and Sam Richardson (Detrioters, The Afterparty, Ted Lasso). While little information about their roles has been made public, it is known that Rohl will be playing Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the USS Enterprise-C, and Richardson will be a Chameloid, the shape-shifting alien species introduced in 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Our Take On Osunsanmi's Statement
Continued Diversification Of The Franchise
The notion of "a little something for everyone" that Star Trek: Section 31 looks to be delivering seems to be the mantra of the Star Trek franchise as of late. With a more classic Trek vibe that Strange New Worlds is delivering, to the 'modern' Star Trek that we see in Picard, to the comical take on Lower Decks, Star Trek, and more specifically Kurtzman, is diversifying and broadening the fanbase of the franchise overall. Osunsanmi's thoughts on Section 31 seem to be continuing that trend, offering an exciting and perhaps darker Star Trek than previously seen.
