Jump to content

Star Trek: Section 31

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SirLou (talk | contribs) at 19:30, 1 September 2021. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Section 31.
Star Trek: Section 31
Genre
Created by
  • Bo Yeon Kim
  • Erika Lippoldt
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Production companies
Original release
NetworkParamount+
Related
Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Section 31 is a planned American television series developed by Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt for the streaming service Paramount+. It is intended to be part of executive producer Alex Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe. The series was designed as a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery and a prequel to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, following the character Philippa Georgiou who is an agent of Section 31, the black ops division of Starfleet.

Michelle Yeoh stars as Georgiou, reprising her role from Discovery. Yeoh first suggested a spin-off for her character when production on Discovery began, and development was confirmed in January 2019 with Discovery writers Kim and Lippoldt onboard as creators and showrunners. The series intends to show the evolution of Section 31 from its portrayal in Discovery to its original interpretation in Deep Space Nine. Filming was to take place at CBS Stages Canada in Mississauga, Ontario, from May to November 2020, but this was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Production on a different Discovery spin-off, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, was then prioritized. In February 2021, Kurtzman said the Section 31 series was unlikely to be made before one of the existing Star Trek series ended.

Premise

The black ops division of Starfleet travels the universe saving people in their own way.[1][2]

Cast and characters

  • Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou:
    Leader of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe who has travelled to the Prime Universe and joined Starfleet.[3][2] Yeoh hoped the character would not lose her "edge that she has [as] Emperor Georgiou" in the series despite learning lessons about "compassion and humanity" during her time on Star Trek: Discovery.[4] Yoah reprises her role from Discovery.

Production

Development

During production on the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, guest star Michelle Yeoh suggested to executive producer Alex Kurtzman that they make a spin-off series featuring her character Philippa Georgiou.[5] Yeoh made the suggestion because she loved playing the character, and because she wanted to be a role model for young Asian women. Kurtzman was enthusiastic about the idea, but was unsure if a spin-off would be feasible since the series had not yet been released. After Yeoh's performance received positive responses, they began exploring the organization Section 31 as part of her storyline in the series' second season, and that led to further discussions about a potential spin-off.[6] In June 2018, after becoming sole showrunner of Discovery, Kurtzman signed a five-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios to expand the Star Trek franchise beyond Discovery to several new series, miniseries, and animated series.[7] Yeoh was in talks to star in a spin-off series by November, which was expected to follow her character's Section 31 storyline.[3]

All Access was confirmed to be moving ahead with development of the spin-off in January 2019, with Discovery writers Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt serving as writers and showrunners of the series.[8] In response to fan concerns that a series focused on Section 31 would lose the optimism that Star Trek is known for, Kim said "we will never lose sight of what Star Trek represents".[9] At the end of January, Kurtzman said the project was intended to be an ongoing series rather than a limited miniseries,[5] and added that Kim and Lippoldt had begun writing the series while still working on the second season of Discovery. It was his hope that the spin-off would be ready to begin production once the third season of Discovery was completed.[10][11] In March 2019, CBS Television Studios President David Stapf said the spin-off was "a good couple of years away",[12] with Kurtzman expecting it to be released in 2021 or 2022.[11] In February 2020, the series was reportedly renewed for a second season to allow the first two seasons to be filmed back-to-back,[13] and production on the third season of Discovery was completed that month,[14][15] but plans to begin filming the series in May 2020 were soon delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

By August, Kim and Lippoldt were working with Craig Sweeny to build the series; Sweeny previously served as showrunner on the Kurtzman-produced series Limitless.[6] Kurtzman added that the writers had been able to "get quite ahead in scripts" for the series due to the pandemic preventing the start of production.[17] A month later, frequent Star Trek director Jonathan Frakes said Kim and Lippoldt were optimistic that the series would be made despite All Access announcing work on a different Discovery spin-off series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Frakes had asked to direct Section 31's pilot episode when discussing the series with Kim and Lippoldt, but said that a female director would likely be hired for the pilot episode since the series was primarily "a woman's story".[18] ViacomCBS also announced that CBS All Access would be expanded and rebranded as Paramount+ in March 2021.[19]

The third season of Discovery writes out Georgiou in the two-part episode "Terra Firma", released in December 2020, which was co-written by Kim and Lipoldt. They said the character's storyline in the season was developed with "a lot of care", and it ends with her being transported to an unknown place and time where the spin-off will take place.[20] After the release of "Terra Firma", Yeoh said she hoped work on the spin-off could continue "very soon".[4] In February 2021, Kurtzman said there was still conversations taking place about making the series, but it was unlikely to be added to Paramount+'s slate of Star Trek Universe series until one of the existing five series came to an end.[21] He added that plans for the series had been "thrown completely into whack" by the pandemic, but he was optimistic about the series eventually being made due to the already completed scripts.[22]

Writing

Kurtzman explained in April 2019 that the writers of Discovery were aware that their portrayal of Section 31 in that series was inconsistent with the organization as it was introduced in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and that the intention of the spin-off was to show the evolution of Section 31 from their current depiction to how it was originally conceived, specifically why it went on to be an "underground organization".[23] Kurtzman cited Killing Eve and the Mission: Impossible franchise as influences for the series, and explained that in focusing on Georgiou the series would have "a protagonist who’s entirely unreliable. At the end of the day, she’s going to do the right thing, but in the exact wrong way."[24] A writers room for the series had been established by the end of November 2019, and Kurtzman stated that the completed pilot script "occupies an area of the Trek universe that's never really been explored geographically. It has a new mythology to it". He added that the series would be like the film Unforgiven (1992) in the way that it challenges Georgiou.[1]

Casting

Michelle Yeoh was in talks to reprise her Star Trek: Discovery role of Philippa Georgiou in the spin-off by November 2018,[3] and she confirmed that she was working on the series in April 2019.[2] That July, Shazad Latif indicated that he could be reprising his Discovery role of Ash Tyler in the spin-off, but said it would depend on the timeline of the scripts.[25]

Design

Star Trek: Discovery costume designer Gersha Phillips created various costumes for Section 31 agents, including Georgiou, for the second season of Discovery. Phillips's work on the costumes was not impacted by the plan to create the spin-off series, but in February 2019 she expressed interest in working on the spin-off to continue her designs.[26]

Filming

In March 2019, Stapf said the series would be produced in Toronto, Canada like Discovery,[12] while Kurtzman added that filming on the spin-off would begin once filming on the third season of Discovery was completed.[11] By the end of January 2020, the series was set to be filmed from May to November 2020, under the working title Wind Cleaver.[27] After filming on Discovery season three wrapped in February, Section 31 was reported to begin filming on May 4 in the newly opened CBS Stages Canada located near Toronto in Mississauga. The delay between the two productions was attributed to Yeoh's commitment to the film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) which was set to be filmed from January to May.[14][15] Filming on Section 31 was delayed again after production on Shang-Chi was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

Music

In January 2020, Discovery composer Jeff Russo expressed interest in also composing the score for Section 31, but said that may not be possible due to his workload and the large number of Star Trek series being produced around the same time. He suggested that he could oversee other composers for Section 31 and other series if Kurtzman asked him to.[28]

References

  1. ^ a b Press, Joy (November 29, 2019). "The Star Trek TV Universe is CBS All Access' Secret Weapon. Will It Keep Expanding Infinitely?". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Whalen, Andrew (April 17, 2019). "Michelle Yeoh on her Planet-Hopping Section 31 Series and Georgiou's Evolution in 'Star Trek: Discovery'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Patten, Dominic (November 9, 2018). "'Crazy Rich Asians' Michelle Yeoh In Talks For 'Star Trek' Spinoff On CBS All Access". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Jacobs, Meredith (December 17, 2020). "'Star Trek: Discovery's Michelle Yeoh on Georgiou & Michael's 'Beautiful' Journey and Section 31". TV Insider. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Ulster, Laurie (January 18, 2019). "Interview: Alex Kurtzman And Heather Kadin Talk Picard, Georgiou, And How They'd Handle Star Trek Movies". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Pascale, Anthony (August 26, 2020). "Alex Kurtzman Says 'Section 31' Series Writers Building A "Very Surprising" Star Trek Show". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Otterson, Joe (June 19, 2018). "Alex Kurtzman Sets Five-Year CBS TV Studios Pact, Will Oversee Expanded 'Star Trek' Universe". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  8. ^ Otterson, Joe (January 14, 2019). "Michelle Yeoh Standalone 'Star Trek' Series in Development at CBS All Access". Variety. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  9. ^ "Showrunner Assures Section 31 Series Will Not Abandon Star Trek Optimism". TrekMovie.com. January 17, 2019. Archived from the original on January 18, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Lovett, Jamie (February 2, 2019). "'Star Trek: Discovery' Showrunner Hopes Section 31 Spinoff Will Premiere Right After Season 3". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  11. ^ a b c Pascale, Anthony (March 26, 2019). "Interview: Alex Kurtzman On Future Of 'Star Trek: Discovery,' Section 31, 'Lower Decks' And More". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  12. ^ a b White, Peter (March 11, 2019). "CBS Execs Open Up About '90210' Reboot Honoring Luke Perry, Writer Deals And Michelle Yeoh 'Star Trek' Spin-Off – INTV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  13. ^ Kaya, Emre (February 24, 2020). "Exclusive: 'Star Trek: Section 31' Lands Early Season 2 Renewal at CBS All Access". Geeks WorldWide. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Pitt, Alison (February 5, 2020). "Report: Star Trek: Section 31 to begin filming in May with Michelle Yeoh". Daily Star Trek News. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Kaya, Emre (January 22, 2020). "Exclusive: CBS All Acces Spin-off Series 'Star Trek: Section 31' Will Begin Filming May 14th In Mississauga, Canada". Geeks WorldWide. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  16. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (March 13, 2020). "Disney Halts Production on Most Live-Action Films Including 'The Last Duel'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  17. ^ "'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 4 Writing Already Underway, 'Strange New Worlds' To Shoot In 2021". TrekMovie.com. August 12, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  18. ^ Pascale, Anthony (September 30, 2020). "Interview: Jonathan Frakes On 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'; Hopes To Helm 'Short Treks' Musical". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  19. ^ Graham, Megan (September 15, 2020). "CBS All Access streaming service is getting a new name: Paramount+". CNBC. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  20. ^ Britt, Ryan (December 17, 2020). "How Carl Sagan Inspired Star Trek: Discovery's Big Season 3 Twist". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Vary, Adam B.; Vary, Adam B. (February 24, 2021). "Inside the 'Star Trek' Universe of New Shows and Kids' Fare on Paramount Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  22. ^ Pascale, Anthony (July 20, 2021). "Alex Kurtzman "Very Optimistic" About Star Trek Section 31 Series". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  23. ^ Bloom, Mike (April 18, 2019). "How the 'Star Trek: Discovery' Finale Pulled Off the Franchise's Boldest Leap Yet". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  24. ^ Ordoña, Michael (May 9, 2019). "'Star Trek' was canceled 50 years ago. Now, the franchise is flying warp speed ahead". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  25. ^ "Trekkie Girls Chat to Shazad Latif About Returning in Section 31 Series". Trekkie Girls. July 31, 2019. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; December 22, 2019 suggested (help)
  26. ^ Lovett, Jamie (February 8, 2019). "'Star Trek Discovery' Costume Designer Gersha Phillips on Klingons, Section 31, and 'The Original Series' vs. 'Discovery'". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  27. ^ Hams, James (January 23, 2020). "Michelle Yeoh's Star Trek 'Spin-Off' Section 31 Moves Into Pre Production". Trek Sphere. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  28. ^ Schweiger, Daniel (January 24, 2020). "Interview with Jeff Russo". Film Music Magazine. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Star_Trek:_Section_31&oldid=1041831375"