22nd April 2023, Mumbai: Following her recent Oscar win, Michelle Yeoh has returned to the filmmaking industry. For a new movie based on the Star Trek black ops group Section 31, she will this time be reprising her role from Star Trek: Discovery.
She plays the Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the Star Trek: Section 31 television series. Here’s little background info on Yeon’s character. Philippa Georgiou, the original captain of the spacecraft Shenzhou, was killed in the premiere episode, and the fallout from her passing on the remaining characters in the first season is significant. She later makes an appearance alongside her “evil” Mirrorverse counterpart. The Mirrorverse is a parallel dimension to our own where people frequently have morally dubious facial hair choices and behave in ways that are the complete opposite of those of their main universe counterparts.
In contrast to the previous Philippa, who was a cruel (and maternal) Emperor who ate sentient beings, took slaves, and in general was a dreadful person, the former Philippa had been a caring and maternal captain who cherished her people. The Emperor later found herself stuck on board the Discovery in the main Star Trek world, where she gradually lost her monstrous persona but remained a prickly figure in contrast to the crew’s genuinely decent and compassionate members.
A spinoff series featuring her character joining Section 31, which is sort of like the Star Trek version of the CIA, was rumoured to be in the works by Paramount Plus and Yeoh because of the positive reception to her role. The development of the series was confirmed for 2019. Then there was silence, and given the popularity of shows like Picard, which are set in a far other era, it was simple to speculate that the project might have quietly ended in development purgatory.
But Section 31 continues to operate! But rather than a TV show, it will be a movie. This will be the first Star Trek movie to feature characters from Star Trek: Discovery, as well as the first one to focus on a single character rather than the entire crew. Despite the lack of storyline information so yet, today’s announcement hints that Yeoh’s Emperor will be facing her sinister past—imagine Xena in space.
In a press statement, Yeoh stated, “Section 31 has been near and dear to my heart ever since I began the journey of portraying Philippa all the way back when this new golden age of ‘Star Trek’ launched. It has been a year that has taught me the wonderful power of never giving up on your aspirations, so to see her finally receive her moment is a dream come true. If Emperor Georgiou doesn’t order differently, live long and prosper until we can disclose what’s in store for you. Later this year, Star Trek: Section 31 will begin production and air on Paramount Plus.