Star Trek  Michelle Yeoh

Following the successful launch of ‘Star Trek: Discovery‘ in 2017, it was pretty much inevitable that there would be more ‘Trek’ on the way. So it was to the surprise of no one that writer/producer Alex Kurtzman was given a mandate to expand the franchise for CBS All Access. And since then, there has been a more or less a steady stream of rumors and announcements (moreso rumors, as is the nature of the beast) of new projects, with the roster currently including ‘Discovery’, the ‘Short Treks’ minisodes, the animated ‘Lower Decks‘ and, of course, the much anticipated though still untitled series following an older Jean-Luc Picard.

Now, we can add one more to the list, as Deadline has confirmed that CBS is moving ahead with one of its many rumored spinoffs, this one fronted by ‘Discovery’ alum Michelle Yeoh. The project, which we first heard whispers of back in November, is now officially moving forward with writing partners Erika Lippoldt and Bo Yeon Kim (who most recently scripted the Saru-centric short ‘The Brightest Star’).

The show is expected to follow Yeoh as the Mirror Universe version of Philippa Georgiou, the deposed ruler of the Terran Empire who accompanied the crew of the Discovery back to the Prime reality. It is said to pick up of story threads that will be established in the second season of ‘Discovery’, which will feature Georgiou as an agent of Section 31, an officially non-existent black ops group within Starfleet Intelligence to which she was recruited in a scene deleted from the first season finale, ‘Will You Take My Hand?’. That scene debuted at a convention panel last summer and has since been included with the first season Blu-ray release.

‘Trek’ mastermind Kurtzman had this to say of the untitled series:

“Michelle has shattered ceilings, broken boundaries, and astonished us with her grace and gravitas for decades. As a human, I adore her. As an actor, I revere her. Erika and Boey are remarkable, exciting writers who bring a fresh perspective to the world of ‘Star Trek’, and we’re all thrilled to explore the next wild chapter in the life of Captain Philippa Georgiou.”

Not to be outdone, the series’ star voiced her own eagerness to chart this next stage in her character’s journey:

“I’m so excited to continue telling these rich ‘Star Trek’ stories. Being a part of this universe and this character specifically has been such a joy for me to play. I can’t wait to see where it all goes – certainly I believe it will go “where no WOMAN has ever gone before””

Be sure to check back for more info on this and other upcoming ‘Star Trek’ projects as it becomes available!