OTOH, this has a solid, longtime track record of not getting made.
Section 31: I hope it still happens.
- Thread starter FredH
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Given the length of a season of current streaming Star Trek; effectively each season is a mini-series.
My point? When dealing with a action star like Michelle Yeoh; you green light one full season, and if it draws the numbers you like you keep going to a second season, etc.
If it doesn't get the subscription or viewership numbers you want, you still have one season to trade on.
That's pretty much what they did with Star Trek Picard with each season being 10 episodes.
Is someone who is 58 really an "action star"?
Let's ask Liam Neeson.
And Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone...
I was gonna chime in with "the entire cast of The Expendables" but you got there first.
Looks like I'll have to change this one to: Possible But Also Definitely Maybe.
Section 31 has to be happening or they wouldn't have written out Yeoh. Even if it's just a movie. It's obvious she's one of the characters and show's biggest proponents.
It's planned, but doesn't mean it WILL happen. Big difference.
I think it'll still happen. It's just a question of adjusting to the post-COVID-19 production situation.
My point? Pre-COVID I'm pretty sure they had everything scheduled out a number of years. They expected to film Star Trek Picard back to back to both make Patrick Stewart happy, and because of his advanced age (not trying to be morbid but he is in his '80s now, and they were/are well aware of that.)
It's also a fact that Michelle Yeoh at the time had other projects like the Crazy Rich Asians sequel film (what you can bring pretty sure is still happening at some point); and they had worked everything out so that there would be no scheduling issues. The same goes for Strange New Worlds; Star Trek Short Treks, Star Trek Prodigy - and whatever else they had in the pipeline.
COVID-19 through a big monkey wrench into everything, and going forward actually filming anything is still going to be a lot more work than it would have been pre-COVID (even beyond the scheduling issues, as TV and Film production ramps up across the industry once more people are vaccinated and Herd immunity (if that's in fact possible given all the variance that are popping up) begins to become more widespread.
For example I think the Short Treks that were made to be filler between the gaps in long running new Star Trek series are dead for the next few years.
Alex Kurtzman and Co. were on the verge of getting a system going that would keep something Star Trek related on Paramount+ nearly 52 weeks a year for the next couple of years. The COVID-19 situation really wrecked that plan, but I don't think that anything that was deep in pre-production Before the time COVID-19 appeared, (and especially something with a high profile celebrity like Michelle Yeoh, who is very much on board and wants to be the lead of a Star Trek series) is going to be abandoned.
So yes, Star Trek Section 31 will happen. The discussions now just relate to scheduling, and how to salvage whatever else they had planned before COVID-19, and get back on an adjusted production and marketing schedule that leads to assemblance of what they had planned going into 2020 and beyond.
Yep. This is so not happening.
Yeoh will be back, even if it ends up a Strange New Worlds guest star.
Maybe not a popular opinion, as I've seen mixed comments from fans, but Michelle Yeoh has been a highlight of Discovery for me and I'd love to see her head up her own show. I'm not interested in the concept of Section 31 per se but I am interested in a Star Trek show starring Yeoh. For that reason I definitely hope it still happens and I'm a little saddened that a)
and b) that the Section 31 series seems to be making initial forays into Development Hell. If it doesn't happen it'll join Phase II in the ranks of Star Trek series that sadly never were.
she left Discovery
Again, I don't think it's in "development hell" per se. Their original plan was tom shoot Picard Seasons 2 and 3 back to back in L.A. (and that was supposed to start in April of 2020) If you look at the post S1 Picard cast interviews they were planning to jump right into filming STP S2 and they said the writers were finalizing the starting scripts.
After they finished filming STP S3 - they were supposed to start filming Section 31 S1.
Then COVID-19 hit and shut EVERYTHING down. The above plan was thrown out the window as a result; and Kurtzman and Co. had to really adjust the production plans for EVERYYHING.
That's why STLD S1 premiered BEFORE STD S3 (it was going to be the other way around; but STD post production lost time as they had to set up a 'work from home' situation to get any real post production done after the live production shutdowns and LD was ready.
So yeah, by this time (if COVID hadn't struck) - I'm sure they would have had STP S2 in the can; STP S3 filming in L.A. and SNW filming up in Toronto earlier (noot to mention a quick set of 'Short Treks', and Section 31 S1 getting ready to go before the cameras. As for Michelle Yeoh; she probably would have been filming "Crazy Rich Asians II" and would have no scheduling conflicts WRT starting Section 31.
Now - they are just starting with Picard S2 - will probably try to still film S3 directly after that (not to be morbid but Patrick Stewart is 81 and I sure his age had a lot to do with how this was originally planned out - and they just want to get everything in the can ASAP.)
So yeah, like they intimated - they're looking at Section 31 to 'replace' Picard once it's finished the 3 seasons Patrick Stewart agreed to. If you want a S4 - yeah about that, I think there's a reason Mr. Stewart agreed to 3 seasons and I'm sure he'll either want to go back on stage as feels like it once COVID (hopefully) gets under control; or hell, maybe just enjoy his retirement as best case he'll be 83 when his series wraps.
The only other thing up in the air is when Michelle Yeoh will be available - as again, "Crazy Rich Asians II" and hell, she also finished shooting the MCU "Eternals" movie - and they may want her back for another installment; and I bring all this up because I doubt COVID production protocols are going away anything soon, so there may be quarantine delays built in if she has to move between various 'production pods' for the various projects.
But make no mistake - they realize Michelle Yeoh is still a VERY bankable star and know a series with her as the lead could expand the Star Trek viewer base further in the far East markets as well as maybe get some action fans in the U.S. and parts outside Asia to turn an eyeball to a show with Michelle Yeoh - and growing the fanbase IS something they really want to do.
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@Noname Given
I guess the reason I said Development Hell is that at what time it seemed like the S31 show was very much a priority, but since then Picard 2-3, Strange New Worlds, Discovery 4, Lower Decks and Prodigy are all having at least some kind of movement in COVID times.
I forgot Yeoh was doing an MCU Movie as well. She's basically bigger than anyone else they have right now, possibly barring Patrick Stewart.
Your post is really detailed and informative. Thank you for taking the time!
I guess the reason I said Development Hell is that at what time it seemed like the S31 show was very much a priority, but since then Picard 2-3, Strange New Worlds, Discovery 4, Lower Decks and Prodigy are all having at least some kind of movement in COVID times.
I forgot Yeoh was doing an MCU Movie as well. She's basically bigger than anyone else they have right now, possibly barring Patrick Stewart.
Your post is really detailed and informative. Thank you for taking the time!
Minor correction: She's in the Shang-Chi movie, not the Eternals. She has two MCU characters, though, so she might also appear in Guardians of the Galaxy stuff too.
I think the more high profile movies she's in, the more Paramount will want to fast track her back into Trek again. And any lengthy delays could just up her price
I'll be surprised if it happens but still hold out hope. Also, schedules for projects must be much different.
