With a little more than a year to go until Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day sequel reaches theaters, Fox invited a handful of journalists into the deserts of New Mexico to learn in-depth details about the latest extraterrestrial threat to our evolving planet. It’s not going to be as easy as punching an alien in the face and welcoming them to Earth. That was 20 years ago. In 2016, we are going to have to brace for the Independence Day Resurgence.
The sequel’s title is one of many things revealed by Emmerich and his all-star cast during a live telecast from Albuquerque, which we were on hand to cover. Emmerich described Independence Day Resurgence as a resurgence of the franchise, and of this universe. He said that he hates sequels, so this is more of a reboot, or an expansion of the existing world. He says that we will see the globe come together to unite against a common enemy. An extraterrestrial enemy.
During the telecast, Roland Emmerich described two of the spacecrafts that will play a prominent role in the sequel. The Moon Tug is a beast of a craft that is housed on a moon base as part of the military’s Earth Space Defense.
And one of the many crafts that have been upgraded due to the alien technology we acquired in the first movie is this Human Hybrid Fighter Jet.
The majority of the original ID cast is back for Independence Day Resurgence. Roland Emmerich will be joined by Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Angelababy, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, Jessie Usher and Liam Hemsworth. Yes, we realize that Will Smith’s name isn’t listed on the call sheet, but Resurgence is pushing ahead without the charismatic star, who declined the invitation to return to the sci-fi blockbuster that helped launch his career.
We picked up more details about the characters during the press conference, from Liam Hemsworth being a dangerous fighter pilot to Jessie Usher playing the son of Will Smith and Vivica A. Fox. The latter joked that her character is off the pole, and is now the "stripper with a heart of gold." She’s raising her son to be a hero, and will be a strong character once again. Ward talked about her President being a polar opposite of Bill Pullman’s world leader, but it’s a dynamic that she knows fans will enjoy.
The official synopsis we have for Independence Day Resurgence is as follows:
Independence Day was just the beginning. We always knew they were coming back. After that film redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter in the Independence Day universe delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction."
Independence Day Resurgence opens in theaters on June 24, 2016. Look for plenty more from our set visit in the coming days and weeks!
Head over to Page 2 to see some brand new photos from the set of Independence Day: Resurgence! Here is the new vehicle, which has been called "The Moon Tug":
And here's director Roland Emmerich posing with his newly-invented sci-fi craft:
