Star Trek: Section 31is the latest entry in the beloved franchise dating back to 1966. Originally created by Gene Roddenberry, the world ofStar Trekhas grown to include over a dozen films and ten different series. Still,Star Trek: Section 31finds new ground to cover byexploring Starfleet’s most secretive division. The movie stars Michelle Yeoh, who reprises herStar Trek: Discoveryrole of Philippa Georgiou.
The unique creative vision ofStar Trek: Section 31is thanks in large part to director Olatunde Osunsanmi and producer Alex Kurtzman. Both have contributed their fair shares to otherStar Trekprojects includingStar Trek: Discoveryand the upcomingStar Trek: Starfleet Academy. Osunsanmi also directed and produced the cult favorite TV sci-fi dramaFalling Skies, while Kurtzman’s other work includes long-running series includingSleepy Hollow andScorpion.
“Not My Star Trek!": Section 31 Director Addresses Concerns About New Movie & Its Divisive Organization
Star Trek: Section 31 director Olatunde Osunsanmi addresses concerns that legacy fans have about the divisive movie and its place in the franchise.
ScreenRantspoke withStar Trek: Section 31director Olatunde Osunsanmi and executive producer Alex Kurtzman. The pair discussed working with the star Michelle Yeoh (whose performance was praised inScreenRant’sStar Trek: Section 31review) and finding a new tone that still fits into the overall feeling ofStar Trek.The filmmakers also teased the upcomingStar Trek: Starfleet Academyseries and spoke on a potentialSection 31sequel.
Alex Kurtzman Discusses The Reason Behind Star Trek: Section 31’s Darker Tone
“It’s A Different Corner Of The Star Trek Universe”
ScreenRant: Thisfilm has so many different action elements. I got vibes ofGuardians of the Galaxy[and]Mission: Impossible, all combined through aStar Treklens. I wanted to ask you both, what it was like to balance those action elements while still making sure this wasStar Trekat its core? Alex, we can start with you.
Alex Kurtzman: Well, I think Star Trek, at its core, is ultimately a vision of optimism, right? That was Roddenberry’s vision. The thing that’s fun about Section 31 is that there’s this premise that it’s a darker world, but we actually wanted to counterbalance that with a lot of the tone that you’re talking about. It’s really, really fun. It does go to darker places, but the premise of the movie is that the Starfleet that Trek fans know and love can only exist because Section 31 does what they do in the shadows. There’s literally a charter that stops them from doing certain things, so in order for Starfleet to keep its nose clean, Section 31 needs to exist.
That’s really fun because you get to have a character like Philippa Georgiou played by Michelle Yeoh, who is a hellion and having a lot of fun and doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons. That’s a really, really fun thing to watch. She’s just having a great time and the movie’s a ride. I think, ultimately, people will feel like it’s a different corner of the Star Trek universe that you haven’t quite seen but is very consistent with what Star Trek is.
Olatunde Osunsanmi Talks His Favorite Action Sequence Of The Movie
The Director Also Reveals How Much Michelle Yeoh’s Character & Performance Impact The Fight Scenes
Building off of that question, Olatunde, some of those action set pieces were a challenge, I would have to imagine. From behind the scenes, what were the ones that were most satisfying to shoot?
Olatunde Osunsanmi: Oh, I would say the Baraam fight, when you’ve got Michelle and the intruder phasing through the walls and taking it from one room to the next room to the next room, into the bar. It was a lot of detail [and] a lot of collaboration, but a lot of fun to shoot, and I’m hoping that fun comes out to the audience.
It’s interesting when you have a character that is as strong a presence as Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou, because the fight sequence extends out from her. So, you take the character [and go], “What does that character want and need? Who is that character? [What is] the essence in their soul?” That’s what you build out the action sequences from. I think because of that—because the character is so unique—you get these really fresh-feeling, exciting, fun action sequences.
“I’m Really Excited For People To See It”
Very much so. I want to talk about the future ofStar Treka little bit. Fans knowStar Trekto be a serialized property. I know we’re developingStarfleet Academyright now, shooting both seasons back-to-back. How’s that coming along?
Alex Kurtzman: It’s going great. We’re two weeks from wrapping the first season and we dive right into the second one. We’re already breaking story and working on scripts on season 2, and we’re super excited. It’s been an incredible ride. I don’t want to say too much, but what I can tell you is that we want every Star Trek show to feel like Trek but have its own flavor.
This one feels really different in a lot of ways, and also, I think, very familiar in a lot of ways. But there’s been this mythology about what’s behind the doors of Starfleet Academy for so long, so it’s like going into the chocolate factory. I think, for us, the fun has been actually letting the audience go in there and see what it’s like. And the cast is incredible to a person. Incredible. I think people are going to love every character on the show. We’ve had so much fun doing it, so I’m really excited for people to see it.
“There’s Definitely Room For It”
Amazing. One final question for you, Olatunde. Is thereroom for a sequelwithStar Trek: Section 31?
Olatunde Osunsanmi: I think if the fans make it so, yeah. As long as there’s a lot of love out there, who knows? Who knows what can happen? And the other guy you can ask about that is right here.
Alex Kurtzman: There’s definitely room for it. Absolutely. Michelle would love to do it again. The cast was fantastic. And the thing is, originally, we were going to do it as a series, so there are so many ideas for what Section 31 could be. So, we’re totally game.
About Star Trek: Section 31
In this Paramount+ exclusive movie event, Michelle Yeoh returns as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who was first introduced in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1. Star Trek: Section 31 centers on Yeoh’s character as she faces her past sins and is recruited by Starfleet’s secret division that protects the United Federation of Planets.
Star Trek: Section 31
Cast
Star Trek: Section 31 follows Emperor Philippa Georgiou as she joins a clandestine Starfleet division tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, confronting the consequences of her past actions.
