Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have stated that their reason for not returning to write Transformers 3 was due to time.

Their lack of time and current dedication to Fox television series Fringe and upcoming Cowboys and Aliens has kept them from feeling comfortable with taking on the duties of writing another feature film, the duo tells IGN during the 2009 Screenwriting Expo.

"[T]he second one we didn't think we could responsibly do [due to lack of time], and that's why we were so happy to team up with Ehren Kruger, who was amazing. This time, I think even teaming up with him, we wouldn't be able to give him what would be fair."

They also felt they didn't have the best idea, "the best idea should win, and they need an idea now. We don't have one right now," Mr. Orci said.

The following is an excerpt from the IGN interview dealing with the Transformers franchise. The rest of the interview may be found at IGN.com, which discusses all of their past and current works.

IGN: You mentioned fighting to keep Will [Tippin] on [Alias], and during the panel you talked about warning others involved in the movie about the way Mudflap and Skids were portrayed in Transformers 2 and how it was going to be received. When you lose a battle like that, do you try and stop from going on every message board to defend yourself? The projects you work on are group efforts, but obviously a lot of people online don't always realize that when they see your name as writers.

Orci: Yeah, you've got to take responsibility for everything. We're all in it together and it's a harmony. It's a joint venture. And a lot of things will be expressed that way.

IGN: Why did you decide not to do Transformers 3?

Kurtzman: I think it was largely a matter of the fact that we have a couple other movies on their feet and some television things happening now, and didn't feel we could responsibly do it and give it what it needed. Cowboys & Aliens is a very full time job right now and we should be focusing on that, because it took awhile to get it on its feet.

Orci: And the second one we didn't think we could responsibly do, and that's why we were so happy to team up with Ehren Kruger, who was amazing. This time, I think even teaming up with him, we wouldn't be able to give him what would be fair. And it's really a matter of time, but again, the best idea should win, and they need an idea now. We don't have one right now, so…

IGN: Mudflap and Skids became such a controversial focal point of the second movie. Have you resigned yourself to the fact that people are going to ask you about them for a long time to come?

Orci: Yeah. I think… Michael [Bay]'s spoken about this. His intentions certainly weren't to insult anybody or anything like that. When you get in with comedians and you're doing voiceovers and you're improvising and you're mixing and matching lines, you don't always see how it's going to turn out. So certainly there was no bad intention I think on anybody's part.

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