All hail the Emperor! Well, at this point in the Star Trek timeline, Philippa Georgiou is no longer the reigning dictator of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe, but she’s still very much in charge. Set in the early 24th century, the new stand-alone Star Trek movie, Section 31, will follow the further adventures of the (somewhat) reformed baddie Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), and will reveal how where she ended up after stepping through the Guardian of Forever back in Discovery Season 3.
Since Michelle Yeoh joined the Trek franchise back in 2017, both versions of Georgiou — naughty and nice — have been cited as fan favorites. Following the events of Discovery Season 1, the Mirror Georgiou became the character we know the best, and as such, a standalone adventure focused on her has been in the making since 2019. But now, we finally know when this dark take on Trek will arrive. The first direct-to-streaming Star Trek movie just confirmed its release date at New York Comic-Con.
Star Trek: Section 31 release date
As revealed at the Star Trek Universe panel at New York Comic-Con, 2024, Section 31 will stream on Paramount+ on January 24, 2025. This will be the first time a Star Trek film has been specifically created for a streaming platform. As of this writing, there are no plans for Section 31 to lead into an ongoing series.
But because this series is both a sequel to aspects of Discovery, but set in the middle of the Trek timeline, expect a lot of surprises and ripple effects for the rest of the franchise.
What is Section 31 about?
After leaving the late 32nd century in Discovery Season 3, the events of Section 31 will find Philippa Georgiou once again recruited into Starfleet’s clandestine spy organization, Section 31. Technically, this will be the second time that Georgiou joins Section 31. In Discovery Season 2, she worked for the organization and was a pivotal force in saving both the starships Enterprise and Discovery from a malevolent AI known as “Control.”
But that was so 23rd century. Now, Georgiou has landed in the 24th century, in the time before the era of The Next Generation. This time she’s on a secret mission with a rag-tag crew, including actors Omari Hardwick, Sven Ruygrok, Robert Kazinsky, Humberly Gonzalez, James Hiroyuki Liao. In addition, Sam Richardson plays a shape-shifting Chameloid, while Kacey Rohl will play a younger version of Rachel Garrett, a Starfleet officer destined to become the captain of the USS Enterprise-C, first seen in the TNG classic “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”
Section 31 will also cover a portion of Georgiou’s backstory in the Mirror Universe, featuring extended flashbacks where she’ll be played by Miku Martineau.
For now, this Trek thriller is keeping the rest of its cards close to the space vest. But when Section 31 lands in January, we can all expect plenty of twists, mystery, and bold new action. We may not yet know when the next theatrical Trek movie is coming, but for now, Section 31 will officially be the next Trek film.
Star Trek: Discovery — which features Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou in Seasons 1-3 — is currently streaming on Paramount+.
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