Roberto Orci

Early life

Roberto Gaston Orcí was born in Mexico City on July 20, 1973, to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. Orci grew up in Mexico, and moved with his family to the United States at the age of 10.

He met his longtime friend and collaborator Alex Kurtzman when both were 17-year-old students at Crossroads, a private school in Santa Monica, California. The duo found that they had a number of things in common, as Kurtzman had previously lived in Mexico City and the two could relate. Orci later called him an "honorary Hispanic". The duo got together once again, and began to write scripts. These included one called Misfortune Cookies which Orci described as "loosely autobiographical", and Last Kiss, which Kurtzman said was their version of The Breakfast Club but was set in a lunatic asylum.

Career

Television and film screenwriting

Orci and Kurtzman began their writing collaboration on the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, After actor Kevin Sorbo suffered a stroke, the duo were required to come up with inventive ideas to minimize his appearances on screen. Due to this work, they became show runners at the age of 24. They would go on to work together again on the Fox science fiction series Fringe where all three were listed as co-creators.

Orci and Kurtzman received their break in writing for films in 2004, with the Michael Bay film The Island, When Kurtzman and Orci first met Bay, he asked the pair "Why should I trust you?", to which Orci replied "You shouldn't yet. Let's see what happens." While the film was not an overwhelming success, they were brought back for Bay's following film, Transformers, after producer Steven Spielberg asked them to come in for a meeting. The movie took in $710 million at the box office.

Following their work on that film, the duo were brought in to revise the script for Zack Snyder's Watchmen, in an uncredited capacity. They worked once more with Abrams, on Mission: Impossible III. When they collaborated once more with Bay for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, they were under significant time pressures due to the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. Kurtzman and Orci had two weeks to outline the film, and after the strike Bay had them moved into the Hotel Casa del Mar. The hotel was six blocks away from his office, enabling Bay to conduct surprise inspections.

In the period between 2005 and 2011, the films written by Kurtzman and Orci grossed more than $3 billion, leading to Forbes describing them as "Hollywood's secret weapons". The busyness of their screenwriting careers required them to collaborate with other writers due to the number of projects they were involved in. For example, on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, they teamed up with Ehren Kruger,

Becoming a producer

Orci's first credit solely as a producer came with the film Eagle Eye, where he worked once again alongside Kurtzman. He said in an interview with the magazine Extra that he had previously been involved in productions where the producers had writing backgrounds and had looked to them for help, and he was happy to provide that same support to the writers on Eagle Eye. Following their work on Eagle Eye, they were executive producers on the Sandra Bullock film, The Proposal.

Despite their film careers, Orci and Kurtzman continued to create television series. These included Sleepy Hollow, which they developed alongside Phillip Iscove. They pitched the series to a number of networks, and it was picked up by Fox. Orci took five years to bring the series Matador to television, with it originating from a conversation with his cousin Andrew. It was created for Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network, and Rodriguez's one demand of the show was that he could direct the pilot episode. Orci later explained in an interview that it was an easy decision, and he needed to pretend to consider it.

Orci and Kurtzman also worked together as executive producers on the animated television series, Transformers: Prime, due to their involvement with the live action movies. Following the end of the series they were hopeful to be involved in a future animated series based on the premise, which Orci saw less like a reboot of the show and more of a continuation in a different guise. He felt that while Prime was sophisticated, there were concerns that it was leaving younger viewers behind because of its complexity and intensity. In 2010 with Kurzman became producer of the reboot of Hawaii-50.

''Star Trek'' reboot

Orci and Kurtzman were asked to write the script for a new Star Trek film, but initially turned it down despite Orci being a fan of the series. and adding the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock from Star Trek: The Original Series. Orci felt that the relationship between the James T. Kirk and the younger Spock was reflective of the partnership of himself and Kurtzman, he said that "We didn't even realize we were writing about ourselves until we were halfway through the script-that was a little embarrassing.” Star Trek was profitable at the domestic box-office, resulting in a sequel being greenlit by the studio and Kurtzman and Orci being asked to write it. The studio set aside a larger budget for the sequel, which was revealed by Orci in an interview with TrekMovie.com. Orci ruled out the "hero quitting" staple of a second movie, which had featured in the Transformers sequel, saying that the crew of the Enterprise were committed and that type of story does not have to apply to all sequels. During the buildup to the film, called Star Trek Into Darkness, Orci was one of the production team who did not give much away about the villain in the film and denied that Benedict Cumberbatch was to play Khan Noonian Singh.

Breakup of the partnership

In April 2014, Orci and Kurtzman confirmed to Variety that they were no longer going to work together on film projects but will still collaborate on television. Kurtzman wanted to work on the Spider-Man film franchise, while Orci was linked to the directorial role for Star Trek 3. Orci and Kurtzman's K/O Paper Products continues to operate as a production company within CBS Television Studios, and has created the series Scorpion inspired by the life of Walter O'Brien for the 2014–15 season and Limitless was created for the 2015–16 season from the 2011 film.

Prior to the split of Kurtzman and Orci, the duo were lined up to write the third film in the new Star Trek series. In May 2014, Skydance and Paramount Pictures announced that Orci was to direct the third installment of the Star Trek reboot franchise, after Abrams moved on to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This would have marked Orci's directorial debut, and he was to write the script alongside co-writers JD Payne and Patrick McKay. Due to his commitment to Star Trek 3, he dropped out of a new Power Rangers film, for which he would have been executive producer. But on December 5, it was announced he would no longer be directing the Star Trek film. He remains credited as a producer on the film, and was replaced by Doug Jung and cast member Simon Pegg as the script writers after Orci's initial script was dropped. Orci was replaced as director by Justin Lin, who had previously directed films in The Fast and the Furious franchise.

Orci created Matador with the idea that the main character would be a "soccer player by day who is a spy by night", and called him a "Latin James Bond". The series was broadcast on the El Rey Network created by Robert Rodriguez. It was renewed for a second season shortly before the pilot was broadcast, which had been directed by Rodriguez. But following the production of the first season, the series was cancelled despite the earlier renewal. This decision was blamed on poor international sales.

In March 2020, it was reported that Roberto Orci was hired by Sony to write a script for an untitled Marvel film that would be set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.

Personal life and death

Orci's first wife was actress Melissa Blake. Blake filed for divorce in July 2016, and the divorce was settled in March 2020. Orci married actress and screenwriter Adele Heather Taylor on June 6, 2020, in a private ceremony. They worked together as screenwriters and producers. Orci filed for divorce in January 2023.

In August 2024, Taylor filed a lawsuit accusing Orci for physical and sexual abuse. Orci, however, stated that Taylor was physically and financially abusive to him, having tased him, attacked him with a baseball bat, and attempted to strangle him, all in incidents reported to the police.

Orci died from kidney disease at his Los Angeles home, on February 25, 2025, at the age of 51.

Awards and accolades

The Hollywood Reporter listed Orci as one of the 50 most powerful Latinos in Hollywood of 2007. His first solo accolade was the Norman Lear Writer's Award at the Imagen Awards in 2009. He described the experience of receiving an award without Kurtzman as "bizarre". Together with Kurtzman, Orci won The George Pal Memorial Award at the 2010 Saturn Awards.

Orci and Kurtzman were both honored by the nonprofit organization Chrysalis at the Butterfly Ball on June 8, 2013. The organization raises money for homeless people and low-income families, Orci said that "When you hear the life stories from people right here in our own community, who are clients at Chrysalis, and when you come to learn of their lowest moments and how Chrysalis has led to their proudest triumphs, it's easy to see why this local organization is so impactful."

In 2017, Orci was the recipient of the Visionary Impact Award by the National Hispanic Media Coalition. This award is given out by the organization for "Latinos making outstanding contributions to the positive portrayals of Latinos in film and TV".

Filmography

Film

Television credits

References

References

1. "Roberto Orci". IGN.
2. Pascale, Anthony. (July 1, 2010). "Star Trek Writer Roberto Orci Reveals Personal Connection To Spock". TrekMovie.com.
3. (July 10, 2014). "Roberto Orci Reinvents the American Hero, Busts Stereotypes with 'Latin James Bond' in 'Matador' on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network". Latin Post.
4. (March 29, 2009). "'Star Trek' scribes have a partnership that has lived long and prospered". Los Angeles Times.
5. Schoeneman, Deborah. (July 31, 2009). "A Night Out With Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci". The New York Times.
6. (August 1, 2009). "The Wonderful World of Orci & Kurtzman". Empire.
7. (April 22, 2014). "Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci Splitting Up as Movie Team". The Hollywood Reporter.
8. (April 14, 2011). "The Scribes of Summer". The Hollywood Reporter.
9. (October 2, 2007). "New Watchmen Writers?". IGN.
10. (April 24, 2012). "Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci Re-Writing 'Amazing Spider-Man' Sequel". HitFix.
11. (April 22, 2006). "'Lost' creator boldly takes on 'Star Trek' XI". Chicago Tribune.
12. (June 27, 2011). "Blow-Up: An Oral History of Michael Bay, the Most Explosive Director of All Time". GQ.
13. (May 18, 2011). "Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman: Hollywood's Secret Weapons". Forbes.
14. (April 26, 2012). "Ehren Kruger Returns to Write TRANSFORMERS 4; Shia LaBeouf Definitely Out". Collider.
15. (July 20, 2012). "Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci Shop 'Sleepy Hollow' Series; Len Wiseman Set To Direct".
16. (September 16, 2013). "Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci Talk SLEEPY HOLLOW, a New Version of Ichabod Crane, Making the Mythology Accessible, and More". Collider.
17. (July 15, 2014). "Roberto Orci Grabs the Bull by the Horns for 'Matador'". Austin Chronicle.
18. (December 26, 2014). "Roberto Orci Continues To Attack Star Trek Fans Online Over His Reboot Choices". Cinema Blend.
19. (June 19, 2009). "Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman Talk Star Trek Sequel Villain Ideas and Cowboys and Aliens". Collider.
20. (January 22, 2012). "Roberto Orci: 'Star Trek 2's budget will be bigger'". Digital Spy.
21. (July 29, 2009). "Roberto Orci: Star Trek 2 Won't Follow Transformers 2 Formula". io9.
22. (April 4, 2011). "Star Trek 2 – Roberto Orci Talks Star Trek Sequel". IGN.
23. (July 16, 2012). "'Star Trek 2' Writer Denies Villain Reveal, Announces Trailer Release". ScreenCrave.
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26. (January 28, 2015). "'Limitless' Remake Among CBS Pilot Orders". The Hollywood Reporter.
27. (August 5, 2013). "Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci Return to Write 'Star Trek 3′". Variety.
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29. (August 11, 2014). "Simon Pegg hails new Star Trek director Roberto Orci". BBC News.
30. (September 19, 2014). "Roberto Orci's 'Star Trek 3' Commitment Knocks Him Out Of 'Power Rangers' Pic".
31. Kroll, Justin. (December 5, 2014). "Roberto Orci Will No Longer Direct 'Star Trek 3'". Variety.
32. (December 6, 2014). "Director Roberto Orci Drops Out of 'Star Trek 3'".
33. (December 28, 2014). "Roberto Orci reveals Star Trek 3 will not use his script". GamesRadar.
34. (January 22, 2015). "Simon Pegg to co-write Star Trek 3". BBC News.
35. (November 29, 2014). "El Rey's 'Matador' Cancelled". Daily Variety.
36. "Untitled Spider-Man project for SPUMC".
37. "''Melissa Blake vs Roberto Gaston Orci''". Trellis Law.
38. "Case Details for ''Orci, Roberto Gaston v. Taylor, Adele Heather''". Trellis Law.
39. (August 28, 2024). "'Star Trek' Screenwriter Roberto Orci Accused of Beating, Sexually Assaulting Wife in Lawsuit".
40. (August 27, 2024). "'Star Trek,' 'Transformers' Writer Roberto Orci Accused of Beating and Sexually Assaulting His Wife".
41. Andreeva, Nellie. (February 25, 2025). "Roberto Orci Dies: 'Star Trek', 'Transformers' & 'Hawaii Five-0' Writer-Producer Was 51". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
42. (July 31, 2007). "THR's Latino Power 50". Latin Gossip.
43. (October 2, 2014). "National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts Names Juanes as the Raul Julia Award". Entertainment Close-up.
44. (June 24, 2010). "Saturn Awards open Pandora's box". Variety.
45. (May 7, 2013). "'Star Trek' Producers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci to be Honored by Chrysalis Butterfly Ball". The Hollywood Reporter.
46. (March 2017). "Roberto Orci accepts award at 2017 NHMC #ImpactAwards".
47. "ADVISORY: Latino Celebrities to be Honored at Oscar-Weekend Impact Awards Gala by National Hispanic Media Coalition, NHMC National Hispanic Media Coalition". NHMC National Hispanic Media Coalition.
48. Chang, Justin. (July 10, 2005). "The Island". [[Variety (magazine).
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50. "Mission: Impossible III: Full Cast & Crew".
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54. (August 21, 2009). "Scribe's career in stratosphere: Roberto Orci". Variety.
55. (March 7, 2010). "30th Annual Razzie Award Winners Announced". /Film.
56. (July 24, 2011). "Can aliens knock the dust off the Western?". Washington Post.
57. (June 29, 2012). "Earnest 'People' Won't Transform You". Boston Globe.
58. (May 17, 2013). "Abrams Loses It in Taking 'Star Trek' into Darkness". Washington Times.
59. (July 18, 2013). "Comic-Con: 'Ender's Game' Filmmakers Talk LGBT Controversy". Chicago Tribune.
60. Fleming, Mike. (April 24, 2012). "Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci Re-Writing Sequel To 'Amazing Spider-Man'".
61. (September 9, 2014). "'Now You See Me 2,' 'Dirty Grandpa' Get Release Dates". The Hollywood Reporter.
62. Evans, Greg. (February 26, 2025). "Roberto Orci: Transformers and Star Trek writer and producer dies, aged 51". [[The Independent]].
63. (May 1, 2012). "Universal Signs Kurtzman And Orci; Pair Takes On 'The Mummy' And 'Van Helsing'". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
64. (February 11, 2004). "'Tarzan' co-star gets new lead role". Chicago Tribune.
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66. (August 7, 2013). "Roberto Orci on the Next Transfomers Animated Series and Whether it will Continue Transformer's Prime Story". IGN.
67. (June 19, 2012). "Transformers Prime' Honored With Two Daytime Emmy Awards". Hasbro Studios.
68. (September 13, 2014). "Fans Stake out Seats for 'Hawaii Five-0' Premiere". Honolulu Star and Advertiser.
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70. (January 21, 2011). "Fox Snags Ethan Hawke Pilot". The Hollywood Reporter.
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72. (May 8, 2015). "'Limitless', 'Rush Hour', 'Criminal Minds' Spinoff, 'Code', 'Life' Among CBS Orders".