Warner Bros. Picks Up ‘Alien Legion’ With Tim Miller Attached to Direct

Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group has acquired “Alien Legion,” a science-fiction comic-book series created by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, and Frank Cirocco, with “Deadpool” director Tim Miller attached to direct, TheWrap has learned.

The studio picked up the IP with an eye towards building their own blockbuster space opera franchise. “Alien Legion” is being billed as “The Foreign Legion in space” or “’The Dirty Dozen’ meet ‘Aliens,’” according to creator Carl Potts, a long time Marvel comics Editor in Chief and writer.

The comic was part of Marvel Comics’ Epic Comics imprint in 1983 and centers on Torie Montroc, the young son of a mega rich interstellar business man who, rather than join the family business, enrolls in the Alien Legion at the lowest rank, joining some of the most vile and degenerate beings in the galaxy.

Potts initially published the series under Marvel’s “EPIC,” banner which was a creator-owned company that Marvel had for much of the 1980s and 1990s.

Don Murphy and Susan Montford of Angry Films will produce, along with and Aaron Ryder. Andrew Swett of RPC will executive produce.

Potts knew Murphy and Montford through their many science fiction films, including “Buck Rogers,” which is in development at Legendary. Murphy and Montford had also tried to set the project up at Dimension as far back as 2002 but the studio never had the financial ability to mount what is expected to be a blockbuster event film.

This is a project that Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group Michael De Luca has pursued for some time. Although the IP is based on a comic book, “Alien Legion” is not part of the DC Universe and is being handled by the main studio team as a stand-alone franchise.

“Alien Legion” was a series that Miller always wanted to do, originally as an animator, and initially tried to get when he started his career. Miller is currently prepping “Best Served Cold” as his next film for Skydance with producing partner Ryder. Miller is repped by WME and JSSK.

Potts was repped on the deal by Tony Blain of Blain and Associates.

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