One of the things I like best about Independence Day is that it stands alone. It’s such a singularly dumb movie that it’s nice that it, itself, is singular. But this is Hollywood, and Fox has been itching to get a sequel off the ground for years. Last year Dark Overlord Tom Rothman told IESB that the studio was just waiting on Roland Emmerich, a man who has devoted his professional life to the documentation of destruction, to get into gear.
But Emmerich himself denies this, telling Latino Review that the real hold up is Will Smith and his Big Willy Paycheck. Says Emmerich, shortly before blowing up Latino Review’s tape recorder:
FOX has not quite figured out how
to incorporate Dean’s and my deal, and Will’s (Smith) deal. Will wants
to do it in some sort of a package they can live with. So it’s just
been in negations now since forever, and naturally FOX says “Why don’t
you do it without Will Smith?” I said Will is essential for us, for
this movie and actually for the audience too. And, so, it’s in limbo
and lately the studios are fighting.
Who needs an Independence Day sequel? Maybe it’s my small minded lack of imagination, but I don’t know why you would revisit a world where everything interesting was already blown up and none of the characters are worth a damn. Hell, the movie is coming on its 15th anniversary – surely Fox should be thinking of remaking this sucker with Nick Cannon in the Will Smith role.