What's going on with the Independence Day sequels?

It's taken nearly 20 years, but two Will Smith-less sequels to the popular sci-fi blockbuster are finally on the horizon

"Independence Day"
(Image credit: Facebook.com/IndependenceDayMovie)

"We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" insists Bill Pullman in Independence Day, the rah-rah sci-fi blockbuster that blew up both the White House and the box-office in 1996. But unlike its characters, Independence Day performed a strange kind of vanishing act; ever since Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and company rallied and fought back their alien adversaries, the seemingly surefire franchise has remained curiously (and for Hollywood, uncharacteristically) silent.

Independence Day was the highest-grossing movie of 1996 by a considerable margin, earning more than $800 million in an era before inflated ticket prices. It remains the highest-grossing film in the careers of both director Roland Emmerich and star Will Smith, and many credit it with kicking off Smith's career as an A-List Hollywood actor. In this franchise-happy cinematic climate, how is it possible that we haven't had an Independence Day sequel?

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.