Though there have been rumors of 'Independence Day' sequels since the first film became a smash hit back in 1996, all's been quiet on the alien front since last year, when we first heard word that there would be two follow-ups. But now that Roland Emmerich is out promoting 'White House Down,' more details about the sequels are emerging.

Emmerich spoke to Entertainment Weekly, and told them that the story for the two-part follow-up is set to take place twenty years after the original. As he said ”The humans knew that one day the aliens would come back, and they know that the only way you can really travel in space is through wormholes. So for the aliens, it could take two or three weeks, but for us that’s 20 or 25 years.”

In that time, humans have been using and modifying the alien technology they came across in the first film (as Emmerich added "“It’s a changed world. It’s like parallel history."), but the next wave of aliens will have new tricks up their sleeves. He also talks about how it will be about the children of the characters of the first film, specifically Will Smith's character's son, even if Smith (who hasn't said yes yet) doesn't come back. Perhaps that means that Mae Whitman -- who played the President's daughter, but more recently was Ann "Her?" Veal on 'Arrested Development' -- will have a starring role.

The films, now known as ' ID Forever Part 1' and 'ID Forever Part 2' are currently being reworked by 'White House Down' scribe James Vanderbilt.

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