Let's kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy! It looks like an Independence Day sequel may actually happen. We've known for a while now that there was a possibility for a follow-up to the Will Smith starring 1996 action film, which focused on an alien attack on the planet. Today offers an update on the project, as ID co-screenwriter Dean Devlin spoke about re-teaming with director Roland Emmerich, with whom he worked on The Patriot, in addition to Independence Day. Not only does he seem optimistic that the sequel could happen, but it also sounds like his heart is in the right place with regards to revisiting the story.
From what Devlin told the Hollywood Reporter, they're actively looking to move forward on the ID sequel, though the stars will likely need to align for it to happen.
I can tell you that Roland and I have been working together for the first time in 11 years and we’re very excited about the idea of doing it. Whether or not we can make this happen, if we can get all the pieces to come together, that’s gonna be challenging. But creatively, for the very first time since we did the original, I feel we have a worthy concept, a worthy path to go.
Is it probable that some of the referenced "pieces" come with names like Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Vivica A. Fox? (And since I'm naming names, I'd like to put in a formal request for Adam Baldwin to return with a bigger role).
As for the mentioned "worthy concept," that is the thing we wish all sequels offered, and many don't. But Devlin's comments on revisiting the story suggest that his and Emmerich's hearts are in the right place with regards to moving forward with this project.
"We resisted doing the sequel for years because we still wanted to honor the first one. The first one gave us all careers, and we really love that movie and loved the experience," Devlin explained. "We didn’t want to make a movie because it was financially a good idea, we only wanted to do it when we had an idea and a concept that creatively felt like it honored the first one -- that it felt like an organic sequel as opposed to ‘let’s just go make some more money.'
Ideally, that's the reason to do a sequel; because there's more story to tell, not merely because there's more money to be made.
Devlin doesn't offer any hints as to the story they have worked out for the sequel, but it sounds like he's happy with what they came up with.
Will the aliens return for revenge and demolish more cities? How will the original characters fit into the story, assuming some or all of the survivors return at all? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Devlin says they're starting the long process of talking to everybody.
Welcome (back?) to earth.
