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We all know that Hollywood envies others’ success. So if Michael Bay can have a Hate Club, maybe Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci should, too. That’s because, whenever I mention their names to bigtime screenwriters and producers who can’t get anything going now, a lot of teeth-gnashing and profanity-spewing ensues. Here’s why: Not only did the duo write and produce Star Trek, which has so far grossed over $350M worldwide (and they’ve signed on to write the sequel). Not only are they the scripters of both Transformers and the upcoming Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen. But they also received executive producer credits for The Proposal which comes out this weekend. So that’s three movies this summer alone, along with the TV series Fringe on Fox. Did I mention their publicist calls them 2009′s “Boys of Summer”?
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Must agree with the comment above: ‘Let the haters hate. Good for them for becoming succesful’. ‘Star Trek’ was highly entertaining. ‘Transformers’ was a rollicking good summer ride. And ‘Fringe’ grew on me until it became my favorite TV show of the new season. They’re doing good, solid commercial work. What’s to hate? Though I can see why those who don’t have that high level of success are feeling burned. Just put all that hate energy into making your work better.
The naked jealousy invoked every time these guys are brought up is far worse than anything they have ever done. They are writing Transformers and Star Trek movies and people are acting like they get all the writing gigs there are or will ever be. If what they are doing is so awful why is it so hard to stand out in comparison, hmmm?
Actually, NOBODY could write a “quality” script for a TRANSFORMERS movie directed by Michael Bay.It’s just not possible, the material just doesn’t have any substance.(You could do a sendup or satire, but the audience would reject it).
you people should be supporting people who turn out entertaining and well-written projects that make money at the box office, thus helping to keep our business afloat.
Transformers, The Proposal, Fringe, and Star Trek are all written for “the masses” as you would say but each are engrossing, fun and highly entertaining.
Instead of hating on those who have acheived success, your competitive nature should be reserved for yourself. Focus on you and being the best you can be instead of focusing on others’ careers.
Writers are not rewarded for talent in this business. No one is really. You can’t jealous of luck and association.
Hollywood has narrowed the field to a point where anyone can be a star with minimal talent, say a stripper, who wins an Oscar.
The whole thing is a joke.
And so is this article.
To paraphrase what someone once said about George W. Bush, “we got the writers we deserved.” Their success is a sad reflection of the audiences that flock to their movies, and the state of Hollywood in general.
Hey come on. Lighten up everyone. This industry is all about the convergence of some level of skill meeting the lightning strike of opportunity/luck.
We’ll all be dead in 50 years. These guys just might get to buy better tombstones than most of us.
A legitimately GOOD Transformers narrative is possible. Check out the 90s era CGI toon, Beast Wars. It’s actually very well plotted with significantly more depth than you would imagine possible for a spin-off of a show that was nothing more than a toy commercial to begin with.
Of course, when I phrase it like that, that doesn’t sound very hard, does it?
The logic at play here is that because the audience prefers “Star Trek” to your movie, or because you’ve never made a movie, you hate these guys. That’s not logic, that’s jealousy. And if you’re arguing “goodness” or longevity, did you like “The Hangover”? Well that ain’t no “Network”, it’s not even “Caddy Shack”, and in 5 years, no one will remember it. (Except for the producers, who will start shopping a remake.) Cotton candy cinema is both profitable and popular, and to punish the writers that help create the type of films the audience patronizes the most is both sniping and self-destructive.
But these are screenwriters we’re talking about here, so why should we be surprised?
If only any of those who spew derisive comments ACTUALLY knew how kind, generous, and intelligent these two writers are, they would eat their words. These writers have been working on their craft and studying genre for over fifteen years. That’s a lot of time, a lot of hard work, and a lot of dedication and THAT’S why their movies have been successful. And with all their success — they’re STILL the NICEST guys in town. THAT’S why people want to work with them. Let the envious wallow in their own self-pity.
Transformers’ script was terrible to me, but that’s because I’m not a 12 year old boy. The special effects/action set piece scenes were going to be shot and their job was to make a coherent story around those scenes and satisfy their director who likes a very not subtle type of storytelling. All said, they did a pretty good job.
Star Trek on the other hand was fantastic. And my guess more enjoyable for them as writers. Can’t wait for the sequel.
Haters. K & O tell great stories and work with the best people. Fact.
Ya’ll know you saw STAR TREK 4 times in the theater like everyone else…
You know… if these guys were such terrible writers then it would stand to reason that the films they write would tank.
Obviously the public feels different than Hollywood’s writing fraternity. They have a knack for telling popular stories that people like.
Egotism and jealousy in the air from other writers? Yep smells like it.
Man, Nikki, you could bottle and sell a lot of fine vinegar with all the sour, sour grapes from the never-will-make it crowd in these comments.
Just because you can’t make it doesn’t mean you have to hate on those who have, guys. It’s really immature.
People call Michael bay an a$$hole because he is one, no need to lump Kurtzman and Orci in there just because they are successful. Moreover, Alex and Bob are nice guys, they do work hard and – not for nothing – they are the guys who invited the Roddenberry family for a special preview screening on the Paramount lot, didn’t notice the studio doing that….they’re good guys all around and deserve what they have.
Hey Kurtzman and Orci,
Joe Eszterhas called and left this message for you:
“Save your money.”
The jealousy from the out of work hacks that put out scripts like Rendition, Lion and the Lamb and other bombs that only they and their left wing buddies like Michael Moore want to see is so obvious. These two write popular stuff that we the people will pay to see. Therefore they should receive the rewards of their writing. If you write stuff that may be critically loved but no one wants to see then guess what you won’t be asked to write other stuff.
I notice you don’t criticize the writers of the CSI’s for basically ripping off various news headlines and then say any resemblance is purely coincidental. How about you write some pro-American and anti terrorist stuff for once and actually make the terrorists MUSLIMS which they are. Don’t change them into some amorphous neo nazi group like in Sum of all Fears.
I watched Repo Man the other night for the umpteenth time. One of my favorite films and as surreal a work of art as anything Salvador Dali every created. I often wonder what drugs Alex Cox was on when he wrote that script.
Brian, Hollywood did make a pro-American/Anti terrorist movie. It was called Team America World Police.
I thought Star Trek was a darn good reboot, which I would’ve thought nearly impossible, and the first unequivocally *good* Star Trek product since DS9, so well done to both of them. Also, Fringe is a smart, well-made show.
Looking at those two things, and looking at the good storytelling in Leverage… and looking at Armagaeddon & Bay’s other work, it’s hard to come any other conclusion than what’s bad in Transformers, Bay deserves to be blamed for.
The fact that they’re hardworking and apparently decent guys as well is to their credit.
Brian, I don’t know what the heck you’re babbling about, but my guess is as soon as you find out what Kurtzman & Orci’s politics actually are, you’ll be back here to bash them. In any event, this thread isn’t about politics. We agree they’re both good writers deserving of their success. Now will you please STFU already?
How is the HUGE coincidence in Star Trek where Kirk is banished from the Enterprise and just happens to land on the SAME planet and wander into the SAME cave where the future Spock resides acceptable writing in Hollywood? What are the odds of that? If coincidence is acceptable to that degree, then Hollywood, here I come. I can contrive that stuff all day.
Actually, they started out in Hercules and not Xena. They were great on the former, while sucked on the latter and were let go.
Anyway, there’s an old Hercules ep that may be of interest here: it’s the one where the cast plays the real producers and writers of the show and totally mock them. O & K are depicted as lazy-ass young opportunists who sleep in the utility closet with empty pizza cartons and cannot come up with one decent idea.
And did you notice, Susan, that most of their episodes back then, were rewrites of Billy Wilder movies… or, cough… homages…
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Fact is, as someone who worked with them, I can tell you firsthand that if they wanted to write THE WIRE or something of the very highest quality they could. Eventually, they will.
But right now, why would they turn down Spielberg, Abrams and the rest of the Hollywood elite who are calling on a daily basis to write billion-dollar tentpoles? They are doing what they love and in due time, they will have greenlight powers to make whatever they like.
Sad people on this board….
As an aspiring screenwriter myself, OF COURSE I AM JEALOUS OF THEIR SUCCESS, I must admit that after watching their “The Dialogue,” interview with Mike De Luca, they seem like genuinely nice, hard-working people.
Having stated that, I don’t think their work is that great, but it is very marketable (as evidenced by their huge successes), and if you want to be an artist in the film biz, go to New York. These guys ARE Hollywood and there is nothing wrong with that.
I only wish Star Trek made more sense (vis-a-vis time travel and alternate realities) and that they could have come up with a better convention than the ‘All-Spark,’ for TRANSFORMERS.
I can only hope to write to the same level of mediocrity.
I’m with Jozeph and Dwell.
The writers out there should be supportive. Why? Because we could be them one day and wouldn’t we want our fellow writers to support US.
This is what I call the Diablo Cody effect or probably what Shane Black experienced back in the day.
I just interviewed Steven Puri, who couldn’t have been nicer or more forthcoming, which reflects on K/O as well.
His advice? Write and take the time to develop your concepts. Really bang at them until they’re perfect.