One thing that might sway in favour of the comics is the fact that Neill Blomkamp is a nerd. Like, a properly huge nerd. There's a reason he was in line to direct a film based of the Halo games, after all, and the influence of the sort of first person shooter action that gamers of today have grown used to is evident in all of his films thus far. Which makes a good case for considering the games too. Besides the comics, the various games based off of the Alien franchise and Alien Vs Predator have done a pretty good job at expanding the scope of the universe beyond just The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Ellen Ripley. The most recent (and celebrated) game, Alien Isolation, is especially good for that. The game is a direct sequel to the original Alien, mimicking much of its set design, thematic structure and scares. Players guided Ripley's long lost daughter about a space station, looking for answers about her missing mother an idea glossed over in one line of dialogue in Aliens. Might it be explored more in Blomkamp's film? He'll have definitely played Isolation...
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
