Star Trek announced Michelle Yeoh would get her own Star Trek spinoff as one of the first official spinoffs to Star Trek: Discovery and even teased some of the cast. And yet, years later, we've seen the launches of two other Trek spinoffs, both of which were announced later. And not only that, but two more are on the way. Star Trek fans recently received an update on the Section 31 series from producer Alex Kurtzman, and it's far more optimistic than what we've heard so far.
Last we heard from Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek Section 31 spinoff was slated to run after one of the currently airing Star Trek shows ended. This time around, Kurtzman revealed during a recently released (but filmed earlier this year) Producers Guild of America panel that some progress had been made on the Section 31 spinoff:
We actually have a couple of [Section 31] scripts. COVID frankly, just changed the game for everybody and every show. We were on a very specific schedule that then got thrown completely into whack because of COVID. Even Discovery season four started many months later than originally planned, Picard too. Everything got pushed… So we’re actually on a great track with Section 31 and I’m very optimistic about it.
The good news is that the Section 31 spinoff does have some work being put into it, though progress has stalled, thanks to COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020. Star Trek fans were already aware Star Trek television had been delayed by COVID, as Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 took longer to complete its post-production. Star Trek: Picard Season 2 was also forced to move its release date to 2022.
One would assume Section 31 will arrive sometime over the next few years, especially after Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 sent Michelle Yeoh's Georgiou back in time, presumably to the period in which Section 31 would take place. Alex Kurtzman has since explained Georgiou being written out in Season 3 as a way to complete her arc with Michael Burnham, as well as organically put her in a position for the spinoff series to happen.
The only bit of potentially negative news from this positive update on Star Trek's Section 31 spinoff is that it would presumably mean one of the presently existing Trek shows is set to end. Star Trek: Discovery is the most tenured of the productions, but there's always a question of how long Patrick Stewart is expected to reprise his role in Star Trek: Picard. Honestly, at this point, we'll just have to wait and see when the time will finally come for Michelle Yeoh to reprise her role and get rolling on this much-anticipated series.
Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on Star Trek and the development of the Section 31 spinoff. For more happening with Star Trek in general, read up on what's happening with the upcoming movie in the franchise right here.
