TransFormers News Update

Scribes Toy with 'Transformers'
Tue Mar 15, 1:21 AM ET
By Borys Kit and Liza Foreman
from Yahoo News!

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have been tapped to write the DreamWorks/Paramount live-action adaptation of "The Transformers."

Steven Spielberg is executive producing the film, which is based on the 1980s Hasbro toy line of robot action figures that double as vehicles.

The first generation of Transformers revolved around two groups of robots, one led by Optimus Prime, who believes in tolerance and the sanctity of life, and the other by Megatron, who espouses survival of the fittest and the extermination of biological life.

Tom DeSanto wrote the screen story that will serve as the basis for the script.

Kurtzman and Orci have a two-year, first-look deal to write, direct and produce films for DreamWorks, where they rewrote "The Island." They also rewrote "The Legend of Zorro" and recently finished working on "Mission: Impossible 3."

Before their feature careers hit high gear, Kurtzman and Orci were best known for their work as writer/exec producers of ABC's "Alias."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter