The long-gestating Star Trek: Section 31 sounds pretty dead
By Chad Porto
Star Trek: Section 31 sounds pretty dead.
Let’s go back nearly five years ago to 2019. Star Trek: Discovery was running hard, and spinoffs galore were coming. Section 31, featuring Michelle Yeoh returning as Philippa Georgiou, was the first of what was expected to be a huge wave of spinoffs. Just a few months later, Strange New Worlds would be announced as well.
It’s been nearly five years since the first announcement of Section 31 and we’re still waiting, all while Strange New Worlds is already talking about season three. Anyone with a clue would say that the Section 31 series is dead and buried, after all, it’s been a long time since anything has happened regarding the show.
Not least of all, massive budget cuts across the board at Paramount+. Some of which have affected the Star Trek brand. Picard and Discovery were canceled, in part due to budget issues, and the franchise may be looking to do more inexpensive and less costly options, like films made for Paramount+ or mini-series.
Despite the financial issues that Paramount+ is dealing with, Alex Kurtzman, the head of Star Trek at the moment, still won’t give fans clarity about Section 31. Speaking to SFX Magazine (via TrekMovie.com), he’s still excited bout Section 31;
"I can tell you that we’re still very excited about Section 31. And that’s all I will say."
There’s no point pretending that Star Trek: Section 31 is actually going to happen
The world of Hollywood is filled with politics, so people don’t often say the truth about situations. So you have to read between the lines. Kurtzman’s inability to give any clarity on the show that’s been in “pre-production” for nearly five years is a pretty strong sign that the show is not going anywhere. Kurtzman is clearly hoping that changes, or that they’re able to morph the show into a mini-series or a film, but it’s very evident that the show is all but dead.
If it wasn’t, it’d be in production by now. It may somehow get made, but something drastic would have to happen for that to be the case.