The first Independence Day came out in 1996 and helped redefine what we expect from blockbusters and sci-fi thrillers: lots of action, special effects, and stuff blowing up. With Independence Day: Resurgence just a few short weeks away from release, Fox has decided to get fans both new and old excited for the series by holding an epic double feature event with the original Independence Day returning to theaters.
The news comes from Superhero Hype which reports that movie theaters across the country will be showing a double feature of Independence Day and Independence Day: Resurgence on June 23. The event starts at 5 p.m. with Independence Day, followed by an 8 p.m. showing of the new film in 3D. Fans only need to buy one ticket for the event, which can be purchased at Movie Tickets or Fandango.
This is a pretty classy move on Fox’s part. It’s been 20 years since the first film, and the sequel takes place in 2016. There are probably a lot of young moviegoers who have never had the chance to see the original 1996 film in theaters. This would let them enjoy the movie on the big screen (as it should be seen) and get them caught up for the sequel at the same time. So those who haven’t seen it yet or just want to re-live the experience should take advantage and indulge in some old-fashioned national monument destruction.
In the spirit of celebrating the original film, here is the trailer for Independence Day. Its effects might look pretty old by today’s standard, but at the time this was mind blowing for moviegoers.
Independence Day: Resurgence sees the return of most of the original film's actors with the notable exception of Will Smith, who declined the invitation to return. His character's absence is explained in the film, but hopefully seeing Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Brent Spiner, and Vivica A. Fox can make up for that loss. The new film will find the human race adapting to new technologies reverse engineered from the remains of the previous invasion. They’ve been preparing for the aliens seemingly imminent return, but they underestimated their enemy as the second invasion wave is like nothing they could have imagined. The sequel also stars Maika Monroe, Liam Hemsworth, Sela Ward, and Willaim Fichtner.
The double feature event takes place on June 23, and Independence Day: Resurgence hits theaters one day later on June 24.
