Star Trek: Section 31 looks like a heart-pounding spy thriller in the trailer released this weekend. Paramount+ dropped a two-minute preview for the movie on Saturday, reintroducing Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou, the emperor turned club owner who is now joining up with Starfleet’s most secretive division. The movie premieres on Friday, January 24 on Paramount+.
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Section 31 may be going straight to streaming, but it still has some big advantages by being a movie rather than the series. The new trailer showcases some incredible set design and special effects – both practical and digital. It starts with an outside view of the space station that houses Georgiou’s nightclub, Baraam, which is outside of Federation space. Inside, it’s pretty clear that Georgiou is happy ruling over this tiny corner of the universe, but her retirement is interrupted by a visit from Section 31 agent Alok (Omari Hardwick).
“I’m giving you a chance to get back in on the action on a galactic scale,” Alok says. Georgiou replies: “What a cute idea!”
[RELATED: Star Trek: Section 31 Confirmed to Feature Major Next Generation Character]
The trailer definitely gives an idea of the stakes here, even if the plot is a little mysterious. It looks like much of the action takes place on planetary surfaces or within space stations, rather than the usual command deck setting for Star Trek. Of course, the “black ops” set-up means that there will be much more direct violence than this utopian franchise usually sees as well.
This movie is about the secretive, autonomous intelligence agency within the United Federation of Planets known as Section 31, which works parallel to Starfleet. For that reason alone, this movie is already controversial for some fans. Many feel that the idea of an organization like this does not belong in this setting, which creator Gene Roddenberry intended to be a glimpse of a future without war or systemic violence.
At the same time, the movie is a vehicle for Yeoh’s character Georgiou, who became a major fan-favorite after her introduction in Star Trek: Discovery. Georgiou comes from the Mirror Universe – an alternate dimension where humanity was more violent and ruthless. She was the Emperor of the Terran Empire before she was pulled into this reality with no way back. She was a major player in the first three seasons of the show, and fans have been dying to see her back in action like this.
Section 31 premieres on Friday, January 24 on Paramount+. Star Trek: Discovery is streaming there now, along with most of the movies and series in the franchise so far.
