Apparently uber producer Jerry Bruckheimer (“Transformers”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”) and Disney have been looking at possibly turning the comic book title “Alien Legion” into a feature-length movie for a while now. A live-action movie, at that. USAToday currently has a long article on the birth and status of “Alien Legion” the comic book, and towards the end they mention that a script for the movie is currently in the works by writers Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, the duo behind “Wanted” and “3:10 to Yuma”.

During my comic book days, I picked up an “Alien Legion” issue or two, but to be honest, I don’t really know all that much about it. Here’s more:

Launched in 1984 as the pet project of series creator Carl Potts, Alien Legion has developed a cult following over the years. The series redefined the military science-fiction genre, telling tales of war and space exploration through the eyes of a rough-and-tumble intergalactic foreign legion. Imagine a much grittier Star Trek blended with The Dirty Dozen and Kelly’s Heroes. Its popularity is evidenced by it being the longest continuously running series in the history of 1980s Marvel imprint Epic Comics.

Potts looks to the underlying theme of the series as being a key reason for Alien Legion’s popularity. “I think what registered with readers is that idea of America’s melting pot in space — different cultures, religions, races — all working together. These differences are a source of strength but can also cause problems. I extrapolated on that and thought ‘what would happen if you put that idea into a military unit?’ I wanted to put it in a pressure cooker to test the theory.”

“Star Trek” meets the “Dirty Dozen” in space. I can dig it.

It's not just a job, it's a frakkin' adventure in outer space.