INDEPENDENCE DAY Sequel Reveals Title, Character Stories

The Hollywood Reporter writes that Roland Emmerich's sequel to the 1996 sci-fi film INDEPENDENCE DAY will be titled RESURGENCE.

In the cast are original stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pulman, Brent Spiner and Judd Hirsch, alongside Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe and Sela Ward.

RESURGENCE "will take place 20 years after the alien attack that Will Smith's and Goldblum's characters fought off in the first film. In the ensuing time, THE HUMAN RACE has joined forces to organize a global defense system using alien technology to preempt future invasions."

Commenting on the title, Emmerich said during a live stream today, June 22, "We call it in the film the War of '96. It's like a post-World generation that's unified, and that's amazing to see a world come together with a common enemy. That's a resurgence."

Goldblum said of his character David Levinson, "It's my job to lead the way in making sure everyone is safe on this precious planet. Having faced that last challenge, we're all working in a beautiful way under one [goal]. Borders are no longer relevant in the same way, and that's a very beautiful idea. We're working together."

Hemsworth will play 'Jake', a driver stationed on the moon. "Jake lost his parents in the first attack, he grew up in an orphanage, and eventually joined the military and became a fighter pilot, and eventually became one of the best fighter pilots," Hemsworth revealed. "I think his ego kind of got in the way, he made a bad decision and put someone's life at risk, and he got the great job of driving this moon tug, which is basically a forklift on the moon."

No word yet on how Bret Spiner's (supposedly dead) character is reappearing in the sequel, but rest assured he will be just as "manic and excitable" as before.

The first film hit theaters in 1996 and followed Captain Steve Hiller (Will Smith), President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) and programmer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) in their quest to save THE HUMAN RACE from a deadly alien invasion. It drew a gross of $817,400,891 worldwide -- the second-highest gross of all time when the film debuted. INDEPENDENCE DAY also won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

Emmerich will direct from a script by Nicolas Wright and James A. Woods. INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE will hit theaters on June 24, 2016.

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