Sympatico MSN Entertainment have posted a long article which discusses how Paul Anderson was approached by Fox to direct AvP.
“Fox, however, had been planning a similar project for years, but wasn’t able to find the right story. “Putting humans in the middle of the maelstrom really ups the stakes in an Alien/Predator battle,” says “AVP” producer John Davis. “Over the years, I had heard story pitches from over 40 writers, until Paul approached us with his take. His story really drew us in.”
The report continues onto the casting of Lance Henriksen and Sanaa Lathan and “hundreds of actresses” auditioned for the role of Lex. Thanks to Alien Experience for the news.