Independence Day

Roland Emmerich tells MTV that not only are they developing an Independence Day sequel, but he hopes to film it as two-back-to-back movies. Emmerich says that the reason for two movies is that he wants “to do a bigger [story] arc” which will “continue the story” and begin “twelve, thirteen, fourteen years” after the first one ended. Emmerich is even floating around a title for the new films: “ID4-Ever” followed by “Part I” and “Part II” Sounds crazy right?

Will Smith would likely return, and the story would again be set on planet Earth, presumably mostly rebuilt since the last time we saw it, when a new invasion again threatens the world. No other story details have been revealed, but I would assume that it wouldn’t be an Independence Day sequel if most of the original characters didn’t return. I wonder where Bill Pullman’s President Thomas J. Whitmore might be a decade and a half later. Is he still in office? Who knows, America might’ve changed the law to extend the President’s term of office. I’m sure a lot of things will be very different than the world we knew before. This would be an alien invasion movie set in a changed world, post 7-04.

I would love to believe that Emmerich is sane, but his movies have led me to believe otherwise. And when Emmerich starts making monstrous claims about the future of the Independence Day series, I must question if there is anything more than some ideas he impulsively came up with during an interview with MTV. Does he actually believe 20th Century Fox would fiance a series of back-to-back big budget disaster movie sequels in this economy (In Emmerich’s defense, we are talking about the same studio that funded Avatar)? I’m guessing that he’s just throwing the idea out there, and seeing if fans respond. He’s looking for a reaction. But who knows if Fox would be willing to fund one Independence Day sequel, nevermind two, if Emmerich’s latest disaster film 2012 doesn’t deliver at the box office.

  • If 2012 works out this may actually happen. Though if Avatar loses alot of money Fox could very well stop making these movies for a few years to recoup.
  • J.D.
    It should be in 3-D so it can be retitled, "ID3-D4-Ever"
  • Martin
    HAHA :D Almost spilled my morning coffee by laughing from this.
  • teddy123
    i like the idea... could be a great sequel if it's done right... however, with Emmerich's recent brain farts (day after tomorrow, 10,000 B.C.), it might need to be passed to another director, with Emmerich producing (or in some other role) for me to get excited...
  • Nickssfsn
    Dean Devlin said to me personally (at comic-con, I don't claim to know him), that he always thought ID4 was just a one-off monster/disaster movie type dealy, and you can't make an ID4 movie without Dean Devlin. Roland's movies haven't been as good since they stopped working together!
  • 2 words...Godzilla
  • Nickssfsn
    Yeah, that sucked, but as hard as The Day After Tomorrow where they were running from water at one point? Or 10,000 BC?
  • The Great Cambino
    Of course FOX wants to make this movie. An Indpendence Day sequel is like a license to print money. In this climate of sequels, remakes and adaptations, I'm amazed it hasn't happened already. I guarantee we will see at least one ID4 sequel in the next four years, almost certainly in 3D.

    We might even see the first film remastered in 3D with a limited IMAX release first to get the hype back up. Developing Avatar was Fox's big risk. The ID4 franchise is an almost certain financial payoff of that technology if Avatar tanks.

    Whether or not any of this is a good thing is another question. I have a lot of nostalgia for the first one, so I'll see a sequel regardless.
  • A disaster movie costs $200 million these days, before marketing. Two disaster movies would probably cost around $350-$400, before marketing. I think Fox might be up for one sequel, but two, shot back to back, might be too costly of an investment.
  • The Great Cambino
    That I do agree with. Funding two back to back is kind of iffy. It would probably be worth it in the end because it would cut costs between the films, but it's still a much bigger risk if they somehow flopped.
  • Name
    Am I the only one that would love to see the original on the big screen? I was pretty young when the first one came out so I just caught it on VHS, but now as an adult, it's one of my favorites. I'd love to see the extended edition in a theatre.
  • Michael_W
    Sadly this does seem like it could make some $$ for fox
  • nappyp
    I love all of his movies. Good clean fun. His only bad movie is that BC movie. Hope I get to see these movies. Interesting to see if he knows how to only destroy half the planet per movie.
  • Sheep
    Awww Hell Naw.

    Thats what I call a close encounter.
  • Rockie
    I GOTTA GET ME 2 AH DEEZ
  • CyT
    *Smack* Welcome to Earth!
  • ryz
    I was going to a barberque :(
  • freemachine
    I hope 2012 tanks so that we're spared the horror of ID4-Ever.
  • Alexander
    Would Dean Devlin return? He and Emmerich made a good pairing (for as much as that's worth). There is a distinct difference between Emmerich movies without Devlin and those with him.
  • ff
    ID4 was terrible. The Day after Tomorrow was terrible. Godzilla was terrible. I guarantee 10,000 BC and all his other movies are terrible as well, and I didn't even see them. The problem is that people don't know who Emmerich is and they keep going to these terrible movies based on 5 SFX shots in the trailer. Emmerich's movies are all terrible, so terrible they're hilarious. Maybe the true genius in Emmerich's movies is that they need to move them at Blockbuster from the Action section into Comedy.
  • No Really.
    I want this to be made.
  • andymyers
    Here's the funny thing: I remember watching a news story on Independence Day the weekend it came out, and Emmerich said they had already been working on a sequel. So I'm taking it with a grain of salt.
  • Bull
    Hopefully this takes Emmerich out of the running to film a movie based on the "Foundation" novels, which he was rumored to be apart of. This guy is AWFUL.
  • Guest
    Independence Day is good as it is no sequel and just move on
  • jstncspin82
    Desperate times call for desperate measures! I'm a fan of sequels but make sure the right people are involved on all levels. Sequels are dofficult because if the first movie is a hit you have to follow up on that spectacular note of the first one. The Godfather is a good example of executing it wisely!
  • Adam
    I'd like to see an ID sequel, but I'd LOVE to see a District 9 sequel. (wink)
  • Dangeresquetoo
    No! Leave D9 alone!
  • im so against this. ID4 is my favorite will smith movie and there is a part of me that will die if a sequel is made. just leave it alone. have some one remake it in 20 years from now...haha.
  • I think he hates Earth.
  • Ttttt
    I would bet money that the will smith character will be the president in these sequels.
  • bomberman
    Fuck this. He should just adapt the video game "Rampage" so I can finally live my dream of utilizing a diaper whilst experiencing motion pictures. It's simple. Matthew Dillion will play a meteorologist who befriends a local conspiracy theorist played by Hank Azaria. Impending, according to Azaria , is the "rise of the monster" panel theory in which an ape and other large ass creatures will beat up sky scrapers. Dillion's character will think he's crazy at the beginning but believe him in the 2nd act. They'll meet the president through some batshit crazy circumstance and Dillion's character will save his ex-high school sweetheart only to rekindle what they once had to do these horseshit events. Boisterous loud crash music, Military take down of the monsters, and slow motion walk away shot. The crap your pants movie of the year.

    God Damn You, Roland Emmerich.
  • Rowdy
    realize what he did with Godzilla, that was basically ur Rampage movie lol, except it sucked. Rampage would be amazing, HOPEFULLY he does it and NOT uwe boll...lol
  • you say that because of hank azaria. but honestly.. its the ark of every emmerich film
  • teagone
    As a fan of the original, I'm pretty excited to hear this bit of news. The concept titling by Emmerich, however, sucks. The subsequent sequels should be titled "Memorial Day" and "Veterans Day" respectively. You're welcome Roland, and I take cash only so you know.
  • Could be interesting, providing they don't go for the whole "America save the world" again.
  • lol
    they always do, no point in expecting anything else
  • Terri Schwartz
    This makes me so sad on so many different levels.
  • sanyo
    The original was great. Will Smith wasn't incredibly annoying yet (for me anyway), it had Bill Pullman, Randy Quaid, and Jeff Golblum. Unless there's some miracle by which the original cast re-unites (sans Randy Quaid but with a grown-up Mae Whitman) AND there's a good script, I don't even want to think about the travesty that would be ID2&3.
  • Justin
    Yeah, a sequel to ID4 is like doing a sequel to "Escape From New York" 20 years LATER. Seriously, does anyone still care about ID4 nowadays? Yeah, it was a fun movie (one of my favorites when I was a kid) but what more needs to be said? Especially since his idea relies largely on the human race being attacked AGAIN! I say he would have a better shot at doing a "Godzilla 2" since there is no way he could make a sequel that sucked as much as that first one!
  • Cookie Monster
    ID4 had the ingredients to be so much better than it was, unfortunately it was let down by an unbelievably (literally) shallow script and the inability to take itself seriously.

    Personally I would like to see a sequel, but in a more sobering 'War Of The Worlds" style.
  • greggorybasore
    I'd buy a ticket
blog comments powered by Disqus