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Video Interview: Bob Orci & Alex Kurtzman Discuss 'Cowboys & Aliens'

by Alex Billington
July 28, 2011

You know them both by name, we've talked to them many times before, they're producers, writers, and even directors (Kurtzman's Welcome to People), now it's time for another in-depth chat with Roberto "Bob" Orci and Alex Kurtzman, screenwriters/producers of Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens, as well as J.J. Abrams' Star Trek and a few Transformers, too. I've known these guys for years, interviewed them a couple of times, and always love talking to them. I decided to be a little tough on them, as I told them at the start, but wanted to get fully in-depth into Cowboys & Aliens and their work on it, as well as their thriving careers.

Watch my interview with Roberto Orci (L) & Alex Kurtzman (R), co-writers on Cowboys & Aliens:

It's a long interview, but totally worth watching. Kurtzman/Orci are credited as producers, and also writers on Cowboys & Aliens, alongside Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Other producers involved include Steven Spielberg, Ryan Kavanaugh, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. I saw Cowboys & Aliens at the Comic-Con premiere, and enjoyed it quite a bit, but found it a bit rough at times. I've admired Kurtzman/Orci and their careers as they've gone from the days of M:I:III and Transformers into producers who can call Steven Spielberg any time. I think they get a lot of crap for their screenplays, but I've always enjoyed talking with them and discussing the fanboy-inspired decisions behind their writing.

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5 Comments

oh yeah.. first!! u better believe it bitches!

Para on Jul 29, 2011

"We're proud of everything we've have been involved in" did they even watch Transformers 2?Is it just me or is the video out of sync?

SmokingChops on Jul 29, 2011

They've admitted, and others involved confirmed, that the problems with Transformers 2 came mostly from Michael Bay, the brutal Writer's Strike (they couldn't make revisions) and their co-writer Ehren Kruger, who then took over for the third movie entirely (they didn't return). It's just one movie, not their fault, no need to hold one script against them.

Alex Billington on Jul 29, 2011

Great interview. It also killed some typical wannabe filmmaker-preconceived notions that a lot of people from outside the business have about writing.

JennyB on Jul 29, 2011

"It also killed some typical wannabe filmmaker-preconceived notions that a lot of people from outside the business have about writing." Spot-on, Jenny. Too many have this simplistic (but very, very wrong) idea about screenwriting, and you will usually see them show up online whining about it. They should go pick up a copy of CREATIVE SCREENWRITING or SCRIPT; there's more truth and info in those magazines than in an Internet comment page.

Anonymous on Jul 29, 2011

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