Alex Kurtzman | |
|---|---|
 Kurtzman at the 2019San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (1973-09-07)September 7, 1973 (age 52) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Co-founder ofK/O Paper Products, founder ofSecret Hideout |
| Spouse | |
Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for co-writing the scripts toTransformers (2007),Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),Star Trek (2009),Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), andThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) with his writing and producing partnerRoberto Orci, and directing and co-writingThe Mummy (2017). He made his directorial debut withPeople Like Us (2012), co-written alongside Orci and Jody Lambert.
Kurtzman is known, alongside Orci, for frequently collaborating withMichael Bay andJ.J. Abrams, as well as co-creating the TV seriesStar Trek: Discovery,Star Trek: Picard, andStar Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Kurtzman was born into aJewish family[1][2][3] and raised inLos Angeles,California.[4] His longtime screenwriting partnerRoberto Orci was his best friend in high school.
Kurtzman attendedWesleyan University.[5]
Kurtzman first teamed with Orci on the syndicated seriesHercules: The Legendary Journeys, for the television unit of Pacific Renaissance Pictures, then operating out ofUniversal International. After they produced several storylines to cope with the absence of lead actorKevin Sorbo following astroke that Sorbo had suffered during the fourth season, Kurtzman and Orci, both aged 24, were placed in charge of the show. They moved into films after they were asked to rewriteMichael Bay'sThe Island. The film earned nearly $163 million at the worldwide box office, on a budget of $126 million, which was enough of a success that they were brought in to write Bay'sTransformers, which earned $710 million. ThoughThe Island andTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen were not particularly well received by critics, the two films earned a combined $1.7 billion. They co-created the Fox TV seriesFringe in 2008 along withJ. J. Abrams. After the pilot, Kurtzman served as consulting producer on the show for the remainder of its run.[6] They then co-wrote the 2009 filmStar Trek.
In 2011,Forbes magazine described Orci and Kurtzman as "Hollywood's Secret Weapons" as, over the course of the previous six years, their films had grossed a combined total of over $3 billion at the box office. The partnership also wrotePeople Like Us, originally known asWelcome to People, which was Kurtzman's theatrical directorial debut.[6]
Kurtzman has frequently worked with a tight-knit group of film professionals which includeJ. J. Abrams,Damon Lindelof,Adam Horowitz,Roberto Orci,Edward Kitsis,Andre Nemec,Josh Appelbaum,Jeff Pinkner, andBryan Burk.[2] In April 2014, both Orci and Kurtzman confirmed toVariety that they would no longer work together on film projects; they added that they would still work together—but only on television projects.[7]
In 2018, Kurtzman signed a new five-year deal withCBS Television Studios to oversee and expand theStar Trek franchise on television, including serving as executive producer onStar Trek: Discovery (which he also co-showruns withMichelle Paradise[8]),Star Trek: Short Treks,Star Trek: Picard, andStar Trek: Lower Decks.[9]
In August 2021, Kurtzman and his production companySecret Hideout extended their overall deal with CBS Studios through 2026.[10]
In 2002, Kurtzman married Samantha Counter, the daughter of lawyerNick Counter.[11]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Island | No | Yes | No | |
| The Legend of Zorro | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2006 | Mission: Impossible III | No | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Transformers | No | Yes | No | |
| 2008 | Eagle Eye | No | No | Yes | |
| 2009 | Watchmen | No | Uncredited | No | Script polish[12] |
| Star Trek | No | Yes | Executive | ||
| The Proposal | No | No | Executive | ||
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2011 | Cowboys & Aliens | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 2012 | People Like Us | Yes | Yes | Executive | Directorial debut |
| 2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Now You See Me | No | No | Yes | ||
| Ender's Game | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2014 | The Amazing Spider-Man 2 | No | Yes | Executive[13] | |
| 2016 | Now You See Me 2 | No | No | Yes | |
| 2017 | The Mummy | Yes | Story | Yes | |
| 2024 | Rob Peace | No | No | Yes | |
| 2025 | Star Trek: Section 31 | No | No | Executive | |
| Now You See Me: Now You Don't | No | No | Yes |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Creator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–1999 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1999–2000 | Xena: Warrior Princess | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2000 | Jack of All Trades | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2001–2003 | Alias | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Also supervising producer |
| 2004 | The Secret Service | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Pilot |
| 2008–2013 | Fringe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also consulting producer |
| 2010 | Transformers: Prime | No | No | Yes | Yes | Also developer |
| 2010–2020 | Hawaii Five-0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Also developer |
| 2011 | Exit Strategy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Pilot |
| Locke & Key | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2013–2017 | Sleepy Hollow | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2014 | Matador | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2014–2018 | Scorpion | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2015–2016 | Limitless | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2017–2024 | Star Trek: Discovery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Episode "Brother" |
| 2017–2018 | Salvation | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2018–2020 | Star Trek: Short Treks | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2018–2019 | Instinct | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2020–2023 | Star Trek: Picard | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2020–2024 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | Clarice | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021–2024 | Star Trek: Prodigy | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | The Man Who Fell to Earth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022–present | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2026–present | Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
We're all self-deprecating short Jews, with the exception of Bob Orci
