I don’t know that I ever read an issue of Alien Legion, although I must have – the book came out in that period when I was buying* every comic on the spinner rack at the local Te Amo (right next to the Main Street Cinema. They used to have a pretty good Return of the Jedi game in the back of that place. One time I got beat up back there because a kid asked me ‘You got beef?’ and being a dweeb I thought he was asking if I had a dick, so I replied ‘Yes.’). But if I did it didn’t stick with me – all I remember of Alien Legion was the omnipresent ads on the backs of other comics.
Now I’ll get my chance to catch up as Dark Horse is reissuing the series in an omnibus collection that debuts on Wednesday. While covering the release, USA Today drops this bit of info about an Alien Legion movie:
Alien Legion will soon find its way to the big screen, as well. “Alien Legion has been optioned for some time,” [comic creator Carl] Potts confirms. “The script is currently in its third rewrite.” In a recent interview with film fan-site Heyuguys.co.uk, Derek Haas revealed that he and writing partner Michael Brandt (Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma) are reworking the Alien Legion script for Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney. Potts believes Bruckheimer is the type of producer who could do a great job on a film version of Legion. “Bruckheimer’s never done a science-fiction before, so that challenge, I think, is something that would hold his interest. The success they’ve had with blending CGI and live-action characters in The Pirates of the Caribbean series could translate easily to an Alien Legion film.”
Warner also thinks Alien Legion would translate well to film. “Legion is painted on an immense canvas, and today’s effects can really carry that off. The themes and characters have a lot of depth and resonance, and ultimately that’s what storytelling is about. Good stories are always good stories.”
The concept behind Alien Legion is a nice simple one: the French Foreign Legion in space. A rough and tumble group of aliens who explore and fight wars. And it makes perfect sense in the modern Disney, which is trying to get into the boy business in a big way. A sci-fi action war movie with a cast of aliens ready for your toy collection just makes so much sense.
You can buy the Alien Legion Omnibus Vol 1 from CHUD by clicking here.
* err, shoplifting. Hey, I was young, poor and had bad morals.
Also purchase porn mags at Te Amo when you are obviously way underage on our message boards.