boborciendersgame

Desde Hollywood was invited to have a one-on-one talk with Roberto Orci, also known as ‘Bob Orci’. The Mexican born writer and producer has been a vital creative force behind big budget productions like Transformers, Cowboys and Aliens, Star Trek and other projects with his friend J.J. Abrams. But the topic here was Ender’s Game, the anticipated adaptation of Orson Scott Card massively popular novel. After the transcription in English you have the video interview in Spanish.

Desde Hollywood: Bob Orci, the most successful Latino in Hollywood.

Roberto Orci: Ok, if you say so. I take your word for that.

And the most powerful one.

Orci: Oh my god! So lucky, so lucky.

How would you compare Ender’s Game to your other science fiction projects?

Orci: It is a huge movie. You could release it in the Summer, now we are starting the Holiday Season. A movie this big usually gets in through an ear and exits through the other one. Here you have a great adventure with fantastic special effects, but after the film ends you can talk about something important. That is why Hollywood had this book for years and didn’t know what to do about it: Young roles but adult and complex themes, etc. I love that you can have a conversation after watching it.

I think that now there is a crisis in terms of leading men, but you got Asa Butterfield that is phenomenal.

Orci: Phenomenal. Knowing that he is so young we shot in order, from page 1 to the 120. He grew 2 inches taller during the shooting. Gavin Hood, the director, told Harrison Ford “don’t be so friendly with Asa, keep some distance. I want the movie to show the same evolution of your real life relationship. He doesn’t know you, you are Harrison Ford, so I want him to fear you a bit.” So that develops slowly, until the point where Asa has a fight with Harrison on screen. That was very interesting to see.

In the marketing campaign you see “Academy Award Nominee” many times. Are there expectations in the upcoming award season?

Orci: I don’t know. I don’t do it for awards. I want that the public to love the movie. I am only thinking about my mother, my father, my cousin, etc. I know nothing about awards. We have these actors, these artists like Viola Davis, Sir. Ben Kingsley and Harrison Ford, they all have Oscar nominations or Oscars. But I can’t think about that.

“In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.
Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.”

Ender’s Game lands on theaters Nov. 1, 2013.