Section 31 Was A Surprise Hit After All, And I Hope It’s Good News For Star Trek Streaming Movies

Star Trek: Section 31 was a streaming hit in its first week on Paramount+, which may come as a surprise to its detractors. Encouragingly, this success could mean hope for more Star Trek streaming movies. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Star Trek: Section 31 premiered on Paramount+ on January 24, 2025. The first Star Trek movie in the nine years since Star Trek Beyond, Section 31 is headlined by Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou.

Reviews for Star Trek: Section 31 were resoundingly negative, and online reactions from Star Trek fans were even more savage. On Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek: Section 31 ranks at 19% Rotten, with a 16% audience score. While Star Trek: Section 31 has its supporters as well, the consensus is that Michelle Yeoh's action-packed spectacle falls short of the tenets Trekkies feel a proper Star Trek movie should consist of. However, Star Trek: Section 31's week one streaming numbers indicate the film did better than its haters might have expected.

Star Trek: Section 31 Was A Streaming Success For Paramount Plus In Week One

Section 31 Posted Impressive Numbers In Its First Week

A report in The Hollywood Reporter about the huge streaming success of The Night Agent season 2 on Netflix contains a surprising and encouraging factoid about Star Trek: Section 31. For the week of January 20-26, which was the first weekend of Star Trek: Section 31, Michelle Yeoh's actioner ranks #8 among streaming movies with 170 million minutes streamed. Director Olatunde Osunsanmi shared the good news on his Threads account:

Star Trek: Section 31 was the number 2 movie on Paramount+ for its first week, behind Gladiator II. Since then, Section 31 has dropped out of Paramount+'s top 10. However, it's an impressive first-week performance that's better than Star Trek: Section 31's poor reviews indicated. Opening week interest in Section 31 can be attributed to the star power of Michelle Yeoh and a strong marketing push by Paramount+. So, while Section 31 may not be a runaway success, its first week numbers, at least, were not disastrous.

Star Trek Streaming Movies Could Continue After Section 31

There's Hope For More Star Trek Streaming Movies On Paramount Plus

Star Trek: Section 31's sorry reviews and fan reactions led to a worry that it would mark the end of Star Trek streaming movies on Paramount+ at their inception. Paramount+'s hoped-for announced plan was for a new Star Trek streaming movie every two years to complement the existing Star Trek TV series on the streamer. Section 31's opening week numbers create hope that more Star Trek streaming movies can indeed happen.

After all, if Star Trek: Section 31 managed to overcome deleterious word-of-mouth and a critical shellacking to score in its first week, it's logical to think a Star Trek movie embraced by fans and reviewers could be a runaway hit. Star Trek: Section 31's 170 million minutes streamed in week one is a positive metric Paramount+ should consider, although the movie's numbers in subsequent weeks may tell a different story. But again, it's a hopeful sign for the reception a different (and better) Star Trek streaming movie could garner.

Why Paramount Plus Should Make A Different Star Trek Streaming Movie Instead Of Section 31’s Sequel

Star Trek Has Many Possibilities For Streaming Movies

Hopefully, Paramount+ will take Star Trek: Section 31's opening week numbers as a signal that Star Trek streaming movies are still viable and should be pursued. A Star Trek: Section 31 sequel isn't what audiences are looking for, though this is surely disappointing news for Michelle Yeoh and her future in Star Trek since her Emperor Georgiou character is now moored in Section 31's early 24th century timeframe. But there is certainly an opportunity and desire for streaming movies about other Star Trek characters and ideas.

Whether it's the ardently-desired Star Trek: Legacy sequel to Star Trek: Picard season 3, an animated or live-action follow-up to the ending of Star Trek: Lower Decks, a reunion for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, or Star Trek: Voyager in live-action, or another idea, Paramount+ could do well to listen to what Star Trek fans desire. Star Trek: Section 31 was a misfire that still managed to net a relatively strong debut, but think of what a Star Trek movie fans get behind might accomplish.