Well this is a surprise! I’ve been enjoying my Sunday off, away from S&A duties, and returned earlier than usual to find that the first trailer for the next "Independence Day" movie was released this afternoon – not a typical day and time for studios to drop trailers, especially for tent-pole movies. And with no pre-announcement that it was coming, which is also unusual. At least, no pre-announcement that I was aware of.
All that said, here it is – the first trailer for "Independence Day: Resurgence," but no Will Smith though (as has been covered on this blog ad naseam).
A quick recap…
Our last report on the upcoming movie included the announcement that British actor, Deobia Oparei (Areo Hotah in HBO’s "Game Of Thrones"), had joined the cast of Fox’s "Independence Day" sequel, which will star Jessie T. Usher (star of the LeBron James-produced Starz series, "Survivor’s Remorse") playing Will Smith’s character’s son, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Vivica A. Fox. They’ll be joined by other newcomers in Liam Hemsworth, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Sela Ward.
20th Century Fox is planning 2 sequels, by the way. This one is the first of the 2, which will be released during the summer of 2016, 20 years after the first film’s theatrical debut.
As for Will Smith, he’s not returning, and will indeed sit out the next 2 films, paving the way for Usher to take over, in a handing-off of the baton.
As writer/director Rolland Emmerich said previously, the sequels would be "a bit like the sons takeover," meaning Will Smith probably wasn’t expected to be part of the sequels in the first place – at least, not in any meaningful way – and the storylines for each film will instead focus on a new generation of human heroes, including Will Smith’s character’s eventual stepson (Vivica Fox’s kid) in "ID4" (who was played by Ross Bagley, now 26 years old).
I haven’t exactly been longing for "ID4" sequels, but I’m sure I’ll still see them when they are released.
Official synopsis: After "Independence Day" redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global catastrophe on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.
Trailer below:
