Aylesworth, Pasquale take 'AVP2' leads

A slew of humans have lined up to get caught in the middle of a long-running intergalactic conflict.

While the real stars of "Alien vs. Predator 2" are sure to be stuntmen in funny costumes, the human cast will be led by Reiko Aylesworth and Steve Pasquale.

No mention of plot is given in the Variety casting story. It can be safely assumed, though, that the storyline somehow involves a confrontation between an Alien and -- stay with us here -- a Predator.

One way or the other, it's still safe to assume that whoever wins, we all lose.

Shane Salerno ("Armageddon") wrote the script, which will be directed by Greg and Colin Strause (not to be confused with Dylan and Cole Sprouse of TV's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"). Production on the 20th Century Fox film begins in Vancouver next week.

The first "Alien vs. Predator" film, blending the two popular sci-fi franchises, made more than $80 million domestically.

Aylesworth is best known for her tenure as Michelle Dessler on FOX's "24," a role that ended under unfortunate circumstances early last season. Although Variety refers to Aylesworth as a "He," we're just going to assume that they're referring to the 33-year-old actress, whose other credits include guest stints on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "Conviction," as well as the upcoming film "The Killing Floor."

Pasquale is a regular on FX's "Rescue Me." He's also been seen on "Six Feet Under" and in the feature "Aurora Borealis."