Star Trek: Section 31 – A Bold Streaming Move for the Franchise

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  • Solves an Issue That Plagues Modern Streaming Series
  • Paramount+ Needs More Star Trek

As a die-hard Star Trek fan, it’s been nearly a decade since we last saw a new Star Trek film on the big screen with the mixed bag that was Star Trek Beyond. This nine-year gap is the longest since they started gracing our screens and is close to the time between the end of The Original Series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. But fear not, fellow Trekkies! While we haven’t had a theatrical release in the franchise for some time, there’s a new adventure on the horizon. Star Trek: Section 31 is set to premiere on Paramount+ on January 24, 2025, making it the first film in the series not to hit theaters.

Discovery.” Initially planned as a spin-off TV series for “Star Trek: Discovery” back in November 2018, the project was later transformed into a streaming film towards the end of 2022. This shift occurred because the showrunner, Alex Kurtzman, foresaw that Michelle Yeoh’s star power, earned from an Academy Award win, would be too busy for a TV series. Instead, they leveraged her fame to expand upon an existing character within the “Star Trek” universe. Notably, “Star Trek: Section 31” is setting itself apart from other popular franchises like the MCU, DCU, and Star Wars.

Star Trek’s First Streaming Movie Is a Big Move for the Franchise

From its inception, there has always been a perceived difference between television and film, with the former often considered inferior to the latter. This held true even for popular franchises that encompassed both TV shows and movies, such as “Star Trek” during the 80s and 90s, where the TV series were viewed primarily as precursors to the films. Despite the surge of high-quality television content in recent years, this distinction between small and big screen projects remains discernible.

Although Grant Gustin’s Flash character was widely acclaimed in the TV series, he wasn’t considered for the movies. Instead, Ezra Miller was chosen, as it was thought that the movie versions should stand alone and be more universally approachable. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films never connected to the ABC and Netflix Marvel shows, and it wasn’t until Disney+ that boundaries between television and film began to blur. However, even then, movies appeared destined for theatrical releases, while streaming was used mainly to expand TV series. Streaming films are usually associated with smaller or mid-budget productions, typically in genres like comedy or horror.

Star Trek: Section 31 is blazing a trail that few multi-media franchises have dared to tread: live-action movies not released in theaters, although admittedly it’s not the first time this has been attempted (remember those live-action Scooby-Doo films from the early 2000s?). Warner Bros. had initially followed a similar path with proposed DCEU projects like Batgirl and Wonder Twins, but those plans and productions were ultimately shelved. With Star Trek: Section 31 now paving the way, it opens up an innovative format for Star Trek storytelling and potentially serves as a model for other franchises to follow. For instance, Marvel might be inspired to resurrect characters from their concluded television series like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or The Runaways in TV films, allowing fans to reconnect with beloved characters without the burden of a long-running TV series or the concern about appealing to a wide audience and raking in big box office returns.

Solves an Issue That Plagues Modern Streaming Series

As a dedicated cinephile, I’ve noticed a common challenge in many prestige franchise TV series – they often originate from film concepts but are expanded into TV series. For instance, shows like “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” initially conceived as standalone Star Wars movies, were transformed into streaming series due to the underperformance of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” at the box office and the unexpected success of “The Mandalorian.” However, many of these projects lack the structure of a television show, instead feeling like extended movies with little progression between episodes. This results in more padding than forward momentum, as traditional A, B, and C plots are often stretched thin. Essentially, the shift to streaming has resulted in TV series that may not always serve these projects well.

Star Trek: Section 31 represents a switch, transforming a TV series into a film. This approach can be hit or miss, as demonstrated by the release of Moana 2, which abandoned the character development originally intended for side characters when it was meant to be a Disney+ series. However, Section 31 could demonstrate that even if a concept doesn’t have the mass appeal needed for a theatrical movie to become a box office smash, creating a straightforward, self-contained streaming film might be a superior choice over stretching the story into a TV series that fails to capitalize on the unique aspects of television format.

As a diehard Star Trek enthusiast, if “Star Trek: Section 31” proves to be a smash hit among critics and fans on Paramount+, and provided it doesn’t require an extravagant budget that would make it inappropriate for a streaming platform, this success could pave the way for a fresh crop of smaller Star Trek movies. While Paramount Pictures grapples with getting “Star Trek 4” onto the big screen, a series of Star Trek films exclusively on Paramount+ could offer creators an opportunity to revisit beloved characters and themes that may be too risky for a theatrical release but not substantial enough to sustain a long-running television series.

Shows such as “Deep Space Nine”, “Voyager”, and “Enterprise” didn’t receive live-action film adaptations like “The Next Generation” did, because they were considered more specialized series initially, making theatrical films less feasible. However, a Paramount+ Original movie could address this gap and provide revivals for these series in a grand, standalone format. This move also paves the way for future “Star Trek” projects to receive film sequels if desired. Shows like “Star Trek: Discovery”, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”, “Star Trek: Lower Decks”, and “Star Trek: Picard” are examples of potential series that could see continuations in a movie format, which might not have been possible for theatrical releases.

Paramount+ Needs More Star Trek

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but feel proud and connected to the Star Trek universe, a franchise that Paramount has nurtured and safeguarded with great care throughout the years. When their streaming service first debuted, known as CBS All Access, it was only fitting that they premiered Star Trek: Discovery. For both CBS All Access and later Paramount+, the aim was to ensure a continual presence of Star Trek series, with one show following another. This made Paramount+ an essential subscription for fellow Trekkers like myself. Moreover, they leveraged the Star Trek phenomenon to draw viewers towards other titles on their platform.

The current era of continuous Star Trek series on Paramount+ has drawn to a close from 2021 to 2023, as shows like “Star Trek: Picard,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks” have finished airing. Unfortunately, “Star Trek: Prodigy” was terminated and moved to Netflix. However, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” will return for Season 3 eventually, and upcoming series like “Starfleet Academy” and a planned live-action comedy are on the horizon.

The current landscape of Paramount+’s “Star Trek” offerings is somewhat sparse. Although it has added shows from Taylor Sheridan such as “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Landman,” “Tulsa King,” and “Lioness,” to bolster its lineup, incorporating more “Star Trek” content would add some variety to their programming. A major “Star Trek”-themed film on Paramount+ could serve as a significant event, much like the “Doctor Who” Christmas Specials have become must-watch events for fans of that show.

It’s possible that the arrival of Star Trek: Section 31 and a collection of Star Trek movies exclusive to streaming platforms might dilute the significance or demand for cinematic Star Trek films, which could further strain the already precarious film franchise. However, if television series aren’t considered detrimental, why would a streaming movie be any different? In essence, Star Trek: Section 31 seems like an ideal blend of Star Trek’s illustrious TV heritage, its big-screen adventures, and its contemporary streaming presence. With its arrival, Star Trek: Section 31 could revolutionize the franchise. Star Trek: Section 31 will be available for streaming on Paramount+ starting January 24.

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2025-01-24 05:32