Roberto Orci, co-writer and executive producer of the upcoming “Star Trek” feature film, made his first appearance at the recent Grand Slam Convention (related story). Here is Part 2 of our coverage of that event:

To those concerned about possible violations of canon or continuity in the new film, Orci gave his assurance. “Every decision made in this movie has a canon-inspired origin. You may see the movie and feel that we violated something here or there, or entirely or not at all. But you’ll never be able to say that our decisions were in any way based on ignorance of what was. Any changes you see will be inspired by what was.”

Commenting on the released image of the Enterprise under construction, Orci quipped that it “does look slightly like an electric toilet and two giant hair dryers.”

Speaking of “Transformers”, Orci reported that he and Kurtzman had just completed the first draft of the sequel script, securing their release from “Michael Bay Jail.” They spent nine weeks sequestered in a beachside hotel with Ehren Kruger (their co-writer on this project), writing every day from 9am to 6pm, with daily visits from Bay asking, “Where are the pages?” The sequel is due in theaters a month after “Star Trek”, in June 2009. Will there be another Star Trek reference in “Transformers 2”? According to Orci, “Yeah! A big one.”

Their pal, “Transformers” executive producer Steven Spielberg, visited the “Star Trek” set on a day that a complex hallway action sequence was being shot. This casual visit turned into a 45-minute conversation, with the veteran director giving notes on how to “amp up the action” in the scene.

J.J. Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci also wrote and are producing a pilot for the Fox network titled “Fringe”. Orci compared it to “X Files”, “Altered States” and David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” - “science fiction slightly veers into something kind of creepy and kind of gross.” They hope it will be picked up for a premiere this fall.
 

Whither The Tour?

For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting Star Trek The Tour’s arrival in your town, please remain patient. Various circumstances have prevented the Tour from announcing an itinerary, and their next venue is not yet secured. When there is news to report, however, you’ll find it here in my column as soon as I have it.

Star Trek Family Birthday

Today (April 29) please join me in sending heartfelt good wishes to my favorite female captain, Kate Mulgrew, on the occasion of her birthday.