In a recent interview with MTV, Roberto Orci (co-writer of
Cowboys & Aliens,
Star Trek and
Transformers) talks about the film's originality, its title, the cast and how much of the film he's seen.
MTV: Ever since this film was first announced, no one knew what to make of "Cowboys & Aliens" from the title. Was it a comedy? Was it supposed to be a serious genre film? Did you ever consider changing the title?
Roberto Orci: No, the reason we jumped on this project originally was because we saw the title. So, once we were deep into the project, the idea of changing it seemed strange to us, even though a few people did question it because they thought it might be misleading. In a way, we tend to like things like that, because we think of the movie's release as sort of a campaign. When we did "Transformers," people said, "Well, is that a cartoon? Is that the Power Rangers? What is that?" And then as they become educated, they're actually forced to think about it and it sticks in their mind even more because they have to reassess what the title means. It actually ends up being a dialogue with the audience as they start to see what we're doing with it. So for us, we always thought we could never change that title. It's a kick-ass title.
MTV: How much of the film have you seen so far? Is it finished?
Orci: I've seen everything multiple times, but we're not locked yet. We've just been in post-production for months now, so I know every foot of it very well.
MTV: When it comes to actors like Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, there's a certain amount of writing for the actors more so than the characters, because they can both make a role their own. Did you find yourself doing that with "Cowboys & Aliens," even though the story had existed prior to either of them joining the cast?
Orci: Absolutely. When we found out that we might get interest from both of them, it already started affecting how we were finishing our rewrites. Then before shooting, we spent a couple of weeks with each of them separately and together and Olivia [Wilde] as well, to kind of refine what we had there. When you have actors who are that specific and that talented, you can find things that you can't find working in a vacuum simply by sitting in a room and discussing the parts and what words fit better in their mouths.
In the case of Harrison Ford, we realized we had someone who could play an infinitely more complicated character than we originally imagined, and that manifested in more complicated lines and more complicated dialogue. In the case of Daniel [Craig], who is so amazing physically and just so amazing technically as an actor, we realized there are some lines he didn't actually need — he could just do it with his eyes and with his body. It's storytelling like that which tended to fit the Western a little more.
MTV: I read that Steven Spielberg sat a few of you down for a screening session early on in the process, showing you "The Searchers" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as prime examples of the two genres ...
Orci: Yes, he got a brand new print of "The Searchers" and he sat me and Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Jon Favreau down in a theater and, as we watched it, he had a running commentary. He was like, "Now look at where the horizon line is in this shot. Why do you think John Ford did that?" It was insane. It was unreal. I mean, I would've paid for that class.
MTV: This summer is pretty crowded with comic book movies, but as we've discussed, "Cowboys & Aliens" is a little different from the rest. In your words, how does this film differ from the rest of 2011's big blockbusters? What sets it apart?
Orci: Its originality. It's not a superhero movie and it's not a sequel or a prequel or whatever. That's mostly what you're seeing this summer. In terms of seeing something you haven't seen before, that's "Cowboys & Aliens." I also think it's going to have a broader appeal. It's a great ensemble cast, so there's a representative of everyone in the audience up there on screen going through this. We're all a little jaded by how much we've seen as moviegoers, so the idea of people in the 18th century who don't even have electricity yet seeing lights in the sky and aliens and how they process that ... It gives it a fresh feeling and a kind of newness that I think is going to translate.
Cowboys & Aliens hits theaters July 29th, later this year!