RIP Roberto Orci

 

Roberto Orci, Star Trek and Transformers Writer-Producer Dies at 51

CBR

By Jeremy Dick

2/25/2025

 

Roberto Orci, known for his work on Star Trek and other major franchises, has passed away. He was 51 years old. Per Deadline, Orci died on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at his Los Angeles home. His death was attributed to kidney disease.

“He was a visionary storyteller with a boundless heart and a beautiful soul,” J.R. Orci, the writer-producer's brother, said of his late sibling. “But beyond his creative talents, he was a compassionate friend who would put his life on hold to help a stranger and find room in his home for the most overlooked pup at the shelter.”

Roberto "Bob" Gaston Orci was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 20, 1973. As a child, he relocated to the United States, and he met longtime collaborator Alex Kurtzman when the two were teenagers at a private school in Santa Monica, California. That led to several projects developed together, starting with the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys with Kevin Sorbo and Xena: Warrior Princess with Lucy Lawless. They'd later team up with J.J. Abrams to work on the TV shows Alias and Fringe.

Orci collaborated with Kurtzman and Abrams again on 2009's Star Trek, the reboot film introduced a new cast including Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. The film was a big hit, resulting in two sequels and a continued desire from fans to see a fourth movie. Orci and Kurtzman co-wrote the first sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, with Damon Lindelof. While Orci was originally set to direct Star Trek Beyond, the movie was ultimately directed by Doug Jung and his original script wasn't used, though he was still credited as a producer.

"But every time you go out there, it’s the same blank page, and it’s the same horrible process," Orci said in a 2011 interview of what it was like to write Star Trek movies. "But in all of the genre stuff we do, we always say, what is the little theme that would be an independent movie if you didn’t have robots or space ships or Klingons? And if you have that story, then maybe you’re on the right track. In Star Trek, it’s a brotherhood of opposites that have to come together. In Transformers, it’s a kid growing up to adulthood. In this, we wanted to make sure we found the same kind of character starting place that allows everything else to happen around it."

Orci also worked with Kurtzman on the films The Island, The Legend of Zorro, Mission: Impossible III, Cowboys & Aliens, and the original live-action Transformers movie by Michael Bay. The two also worked on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Andrew Garfield. In 2020, it was reported that Orci was set to write a movie set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe alongside films like Venom and Morbius, but the project never came to fruition.

Additionally, Orci had many TV writing and producing credits, including Jack of All Trades, Transformers: Prime, Hawaii Five-0, Locke & Key, Sleepy Hollow, Matador, Scorpion, and Limitless.

Orci's survivors include his father, Roberto Orci Sr.; his mother, Macuqui Robau-Garcia; siblings, J.R. Orci, Tayor Orci, and Courtney Ford; and his dog, Bogey.

ORCI, Roberto

Born: 7/20/1973, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

Died: 2/25/2025, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

 

Roberto Orci’s westerns – producer, writer:

The Legend of Zorro – 2005 [writer]

Cowboys & Aliens – 2011 [producer, writer]