Star Trek: Section 31marks the official comeback ofStar Trekmovies after a 9-year wait. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny,Star Trek: Section 31is headlined by Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, who returns as herStar Trek: Discoveryantiheroine, Emperor Michelle Georgiou, alongside a newteam of Section 31 black ops agents. BeforeSection 31streams exclusively on Paramount+, the lastStar Trekmovie wasStar Trek Beyondin 2016.
In 1979,Star Trekjumped to the big screen whenStar Trek: The Motion Picturekicked off a new era ofStar Trekmovies. Since then,every decade has enjoyed at least oneStar Trekmovie, with the 1980s and 1990s serving as the apex of theStar Trekmovie franchise. J.J. Abrams rebootedStar Trekmovies in 2009, directing the 2013 sequel,Star Trek Into Darkness, and producing 2016’sStar Trek Beyond,directed by Justin Lin. After nearly a decade of waiting, audiences hopeStar Trek: Section 31is a new beginning forStar Trekmovies.
Section 31 Is Star Trek’s Official Movie Comeback After 9 Years
Star Trek: Section 31 Premieres Friday, January 24, On Paramount+
Star Trek: Section 31not only kicks off a new era ofStar Trekmovies, but it’s also a historic project becauseSection 31is the first-everStar Trekmovie made for streaming on Paramount+. In 2017,Star Trek: DiscoverybroughtStar Trekinto the streaming era, launching a renaissance offive newStar Trekseries on Paramount+, with more on the way. Star Trek on Paramount+ is now expanding into streaming movies,withSection 31potentially the first of a newStar Trekcinematic franchise.
Star Trek: Section 31 - Everything You Need To Know
Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh headlines Star Trek: Section 31, and here’s what we know about Paramount+’s first Star Trek streaming movie.
Interestingly,Section 31was originally intended as a newStar Trekseries spinning off Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Georgiou fromStar Trek: Discovery.However, the COVID-19 pandemic and Yeoh’s Best Actress Academy Award win forEverything Everywhere All At Oncechanged the trajectory ofSection 31, which shifted into a made-for-streaming movie. With the proliferation of new movies produced by rival streamers like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video,it makes sense for Paramount+ to develop a streaming movie for its blue-chipStar TrekIP.
Will Star Trek Theatrical Movies Finally Come Back?
There’s A Star Trek Theatrical Movie In Development
AStar Trekstreaming movie, especially ifStar Trek: Section 31is a hit, opens up exciting possibilities. Meanwhile,Star Trekhas a prestigious legacy of theatrical feature films that begs to continue. Yeta newStar Trekfilm for movie theaters has been stalled for several years, with top directors like S.J. Clarkson, Matt Shakman, and evenQuentin Tarantino walking away fromStar Trek’s perpetual development hell. However, anUntitled Star Trek Originprequel movie directed by Toby Haynes is reportedly in development, and it could be the firstStar Trekmovie in theaters sinceStar Trek Beyond.
There’s no indication Paramount Pictures is any closer to greenlighting Star Trek 4.
Star Trek 4, the long-delayed fourth film about J.J. Abrams' USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, remains in drydock, despite the actors' stated willingness to return. There’s no indication Paramount Pictures is any closer to greenlightingStar Trek 4. Regardless, if Toby Haynes’Untitled Star Trekprequel does move forward, then that would be the firstStar Trekmovie in theaters sinceStar Trek Beyond, although2026 is the earliest audiences could see the prequel in theaters.If theUntitled Star Trek Originmovie does make it to theaters in 2026, it would help celebrateStar Trek’s 60th anniversary.
Why Star Trek Movies Are So Important To The Franchise
Movies Brought Star Trek To The Mainstream
Star Trekoriginated as a television series, and many fans feel the franchise works best on the small screen with sufficient episodes to exploreStar Trek’s countless beloved characters, expansive universe, and fascinating moral quandaries. YetStar Trekmovies have made an indelible mark on the franchise, and have delivered some of the best-known moments for fans and general audiences alike. Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) death, Captain James T. Kirk’s (William Shatner) crew looking for humpback whales in 1986, and Kirk meeting Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and many more iconic events all happened inStar Trekmovies.
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Justin Lin
SeveralStar Trekmovies also brought the franchise to mainstream audiences, creating new fans in the process.Star Trek IV: The Voyage Homeis arguably the most famous ofStar Trek: The Original Series’films, with scores of non-fans enjoying"the one with the whales." Star Trek: First Contactwas likely more widely seen than any singleepisode ofStar Trek: The Next Generation. And J.J. Abrams’Star Trek2009 found an even wider audience by givingStar Treka much-needed visual upgrade. For many viewers, watching aStar Trekmovie is a more enticing prospect than committing to multiple hours of a TV series.
Star Trek Streaming Movies Can Fix Paramount Plus' Mistakes
Streaming Movies Can Be An Important Part Of Star Trek’s Future
IfStar Trek: Section 31proves to be a streaming hit, it opens the door to not only sequels, but the possibility of moreStar Trekstreaming movies about other characters and concepts. Perhaps most enticing isthe potential for streaming movies aboutStar Trekcharacters whose stories have been left open-ended or were underserved. What was formerly the purview ofStar Trek: Short Trekscould become feature-length tales about characters likeStar Trek: Picard’s Soji (Isa Briones), what happened to Dr. Agnes Jurati’s Borg Queen (Allison Pill), or even the long-desired reunion ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s cast.
The 4 Biggest Things Star Trek Fans Want In 2025
2025 brings a new year for Star Trek, but the franchise has yet to fulfill four of the most important desires fans have been clamoring for.
Star Trek: Legacy, the fervently-desired continuation ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3 about Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and the USS Enterprise-G, may more likely become a streaming movie than a full-fledged series. Similarly,Star Trek: Lower Decksendedwith a setup about exploring the multiverse that could become a fascinatingStar Trekstreaming movie.Netflix could even get into theStar Trekstreaming movie game by greenlighting aStar Trek: Prodigyanimated moviein lieu of season 3.
Star Trek: Section 31bringsStar Trek’s nearly decade-long movie drought to an end, and Michelle Yeoh’s movie successfully ushering in a new frontier ofStar Trekmovies on the big and small screen is worth rooting for.
