Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman to return for 'Independence Day' sequel
Independence Day will finally get its long-rumored sequel, nearly two decades after the original's 1996 release.
Set to acknowledge the 20-year gap, the film's plot will revolve around the aliens' return to earth, “seeking vengeance against humanity… they will come back through a wormhole, which takes them seconds, but it will be twenty years in our time.”
Though the film will be helmed by original director Roland Emmerich, it will not see the return of Independence Day lead actor Will Smith. Emmerich confirmed this with the New York Daily News, citing that Smith “can not come back because he's too expensive, but he'd also be too much of a marquee name.” The original film is largely credited for launching the actor's career as a leading man.
You'll still see some familiar faces, however, as Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman are set to reprise their roles as tech geek David Levinson and (presumably former) President Thomas J Whitmore, respectively. Little else has been reveled about the film's plot. However, Emmerich, an openly gay man and outspoken gay rights activist himself, has announced that he's introducing a gay character among the new cast, because fighting aliens clearly deserves equality too.
Independence Day 2 will reportedly begin filming in Los Angeles early next year, and will hit theaters on July 3, 2015.
If that seems like a long time to wait, just re-watch the trailer for the original, and remind yourself how awesome the sequel will (hopefully) be:
