Star Trek: Section 31 will officially break Star Trek's movie curse after 9 years. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Star Trek: Section 31 is the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+. Section 31 marks the return of Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the anti-heroine she played in Star Trek: Discovery. Yeoh leads an all-new Star Trek cast that includes Sam Richardson, Kacey Rohl, Humberly Gonzalez, and Robert Kazinsky.
Star Trek movies have been a beloved staple of Gene Roddenberry's franchise since Star Trek: The Motion Picture premiered in 1979. Star Trek movies have delivered some of the saga's most memorable and beloved moments, from Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) facing down the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact, to Captain James T. Kirk's (Chris Pine) rapid rise to become Captain of the USS Enterprise in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009). Section 31 is the 14th Star Trek movie, reinvigorating the film side of Star Trek that has been dormant since Star Trek Beyond in 2016.
Star Trek: Section 31 Is The First Star Trek Movie In 9 Years
The long wait is over
Star Trek: Section 31 will premiere on Friday, January 24, 2025, exclusively on Paramount+. With its release date officially set, Section 31 will end the 9-year-long wait for a new Star Trek movie. The last Star Trek movie, Star Trek Beyond, was released in theaters in the summer of 2016. Since then, there have been many failed attempts to develop a J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek 4, with directors like S.J. Clarkson, Matt Shakman, and even Quentin Tarantino walking away from Star Trek over creative differences.
Star Trek: Section 31 was originally developed as an ongoing series starring Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Georgiou, who joined Section 31 in Star Trek: Discovery season 2. Georgiou was written out of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 to pave the way for her spinoff. However, the COVID-19 pandemic halted production, while Yeoh winning the Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once made her in-demand and changed her availability. Yet Michelle Yeoh remained committed to Star Trek, and she used her clout to push for Section 31 to get made, but now reconfigured as a made-for-streaming movie on Paramount+.
Section 31 Is The Longest Fans Have Waited For A Star Trek Movie Since The 1970s
It was 10 years between Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Nine years is certainly a long time to wait for a new Star Trek movie, but it's not quite the longest drought to see the final frontier on the big screen. Technically, Star Trek: The Motion Picture hit movie theaters 10 years after NBC canceled Star Trek: The Original Series. After Star Trek became a hit and indelible phenomenon in syndication, Paramount developed a sequel series, Star Trek: Phase II, in the mid-1970s. However, the box office success of Star Wars in 1977 prompted Paramount to turn Star Trek into a feature film instead. Although not beloved by critics or audiences, Star Trek: The Motion Picture did big enough box office business to warrant a sequel and spawn a Star Trek movie franchise.
After Star Trek: The Motion Picture,audiences became accustomed to enjoying a new Star Trek movie every 2-3 years in the 1980s. When Star Trek: The Next Generation took over the movie franchise, it delivered a new film every 2 years until the 4-year wait between 1998's Star Trek: Insurrection and 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, which failed badly enough to put an end to the TNG movie franchise. 7 years later, J.J. Abrams rebooted Star Trek in 2009, with a four-year wait for a sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013, and 3 more years until Star Trek Beyond in 2016,
What We Know About Star Trek: Section 31
Michelle Yeoh heads the first Star Trek spy movie
Star Trek: Section 31 has been shrouded in mystery, but a few key details have leaked thanks to the trailer released at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Star Trek: Section 31 takes place in the 24th-century "lost era" before Star Trek: The Next Generation begins, but there will also be flashbacks to the 23rd-century Mirror Universe depicting how the young Phillippa Georgiou (Miku Martineau) became the Terran Emperor. Section 31 is a spy movie centering on espionage and uncovering dirty secrets about Starfleet's black ops organization while Georgiou herself faces the sins of her past.
Emperor Georgiou surrounds herself with a compelling cast of new faces with ties to various aspects of Star Trek's legacy. Kacey Rohl plays the younger version of the doomed Captain Rachel Garrett from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sam Richardson plays a Chameloid, the first member of the shapeshifting species since Iman played Martia in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Humberly Gonzalez plays a Deltan, one of the few seen in Star Trek since Lt. Ilia (Persis Khambatta) in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. There are also said to be even more callbacks and surprises in Star Trek: Section 31.
What Is The Next Star Trek Movie After Section 31?
2026 could have another new Star Trek movie
Star Trek: Section 31's premiere in 2025 could be followed by a new Star Trek movie in 2026. Earlier this year, Paramount Studios announced a Star Trek Origin prequel movie directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith. Haynes' Star Trek prequel movie was expected to start production for a potential 2026 release, which would help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek. However, nothing new has been reported about the Star Trek Origin movie's progress. If it happens, Star Trek Origin would be the first theatrical Star Trek movie since Star Trek Beyond - a full ten years between fans being able to watch a new Star Trek movie at their local multiplex.
Section 31's potential success on Paramount+ would open the door for sequels and even more made-for-streaming Star Trek movies.
Meanwhile, Star Trek 4 remains in development hell despite screenwriter Steve Yockey reportedly coming aboard to write a new script reuniting Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and their Star Trek cast for the "final chapter" of their Starship Enterprise's saga. Pine's cast is open to returning to the Enterprise and playing older versions of their iconic Star Trek characters. Star Trek: Section 31's story is an enhanced version of its pilot script when it was originally a TV series, and Section 31's potential success on Paramount+ would open the door for sequels and even more made-for-streaming Star Trek movies. It's been a long road since the last Star Trek movie, but expect Star Trek: Section 31 to be worth the 9-year wait.
