‘Star Trek’ scribes will speak at WGA on May 26
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‘Star Trek’ is enjoying the best word-of-mouth of any film this year, and there are many reasons, among them the pitch-perfect casting and the prowess of J.J. Abrams as a dynamic storyteller. But although movie stars and directors get the overwhelming amount of attention in Hollywood, let’s not forget for a minute that the script for this film is outstanding -- it mixes action, humor and pathos but also proves to be an especially savvy revival by sprinkling in ‘Trek’ touchstone moments without being paralyzed by the past.
Not long ago, I wrote a long feature about the film’s screenwriting team, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and it’s pretty amazing the position they find themselves in this summer. Their hit television show ‘Fringe’ has just wrapped up with a big season finale starring Leonard Nimoy; they have the No. 1 movie in America with ‘Trek’; and on deck they have ‘Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen,’ the blockbuster directed by Michael Bay that arrives in theaters June 24.
If I were a young screenwriter in Hollywood, I’d be paying careful attention to this unfolding success story. I’d also get down to the Writers Guild Theater (135 S. Doheny Drive in Los Angeles) on May 26 for ‘An Evening With Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci,’ which starts at 7:30 p.m. There’s a press release below. I’ll be there too and hope to chat with some of you Hero Complex readers.
AN EVENING with ALEX KURTZMAN and ROBERTO ORCI (‘Star Trek,’ ‘Transformers’)Tuesday, May 26, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Light reception included. Join us for this special evening with one of the most successful sci-fi/action writing teams in the business. Kurtzman and Orci reunited after college to write for the popular television series ‘Hercules’ and ‘Xena: Warrior Princess,’ where they quickly became head writers at the age of 23. In 2003, the two were approached to write for J.J. Abrams’ wildly popular television spy thriller ‘Alias,’ and eventually ascended to be executive producers of the show. Kurtzman and Orci also created the current Fox drama ‘Fringe with Abrams.’ In the film sphere, Kurtzman and Orci made a splash with the sci-fi thriller ‘The Island,’ their feature film debut, helmed by Michael Bay. Late 2005 saw the release of ‘The Legend of Zorro,’ while in 2006, the duo re-teamed with Abrams to write the third installment of ‘Mission: Impossible.’ 2007 saw the pair write ‘Transformers,’ a live-action adaptation of the popular animated series. More recently, the two are the authors of ‘Star Trek,’ in current release, with Abrams directing. The pair are also executive producers on the film. Tickets: $20 public, $15 WGA members, $10 students (prices discounted online); (800) 838-3006
-- Geoff Boucher
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Photo at top: Kurtzman and Orci. Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times