Is Star Trek: Section 31 going to be a series?
Section 31 has finally debuted, and viewers are wondering if it will be a series. Here's what we know about it.
Section 31 is the latest installment in the Star Trek franchise. The TV movie, starring Michelle Yeoh, debuted on January 24 on Paramount+, and is unfortunately not very liked by viewers and critics, who accuse it of, among other things, having an inconsistent pace and dragging terribly in some places, while the ending is characterized by haste and chaos. There are also claims of a sloppily edited production, and that Section 31 more resembles a pilot episode of a TV series that will not be seen, rather than a full-fledged film.
Many of these allegations may stem from a key issue – Star Trek: Section 31 was originally intended to be a series. In January 2019, it was announced that there would be a spin-off of Discovery precisely in the form of a series, but the production encountered problems that forced the creators to change their plans. When work had not yet begun on the set of the first season, there was even news that plans might include simultaneous filming of the second season. However, filming of the spin-off began to be postponed, first due to Yeoh's other commitments, and then the COVID-19 pandemic, which was due in 2020.
In 2021, nothing still moved on the subject, and for the next few years there was only further talk that the series was still in the plans. Until 2023, when finally there was more concrete information about Section 31. Then it was announced that instead of a series, the production would be a streaming film. Reportedly, the series began to be turned into a film as early as mid-2022, when the filmmakers realized that Yeoh's schedule might be filled by her burgeoning career, and therefore she would not be able to commit to appearing in the entire season.
Changes to the script, which was intended for a TV series but was turned into a movie, may have affected the problems that are pointed out by viewers.
Is Section 31 going to be a series?
Will Section 31 be a TV series? No. It was decided to turn this production into a movie, and there is no information that it will be followed by an episode production. And will Section 31 be the beginning of a new film series in the Star Trek universe? The ending of the film suggests that a sequel is possible, but nothing has been announced as of yet. Much certainly depends on the numbers the movie will achieve.
If the filmmakers decide to make a whole series of films about Section 31, then in the next installment we can expect a new mission for Georgiou and her black ops rogue squadron, the foundation for which was laid by the final scene from the first movie.