Independence Day: Resurgence

Earlier today we ran a list of our own most anticipated films of 2016, but what about the rest of you guys? According to Fandango’s annual poll, audiences are excited for many of the same big budget studio films as we are, with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story coming out ahead of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Captain America: Civil War — neither of which even came in second place.

The first trailer for Independence Day: Resurgence arrived over the weekend, and while we’ve known for some time that Will Smith wouldn’t be returning to reprise his role for the sequel, we were still hoping that maybe the trailer would address his absence — after all, they cast Jessie Usher as Captain Hiller’s son, and even Vivica A. Fox came back. Surely Smith’s character will be mentioned in passing at the very least, right? If you’re curious about how Resurgence will deal with Smith’s absence, the viral website has an answer.

Surprise! 20th Century Fox has delivered the first full trailer for Independence Day: Resurgence (not related to Toho’s Godzilla: Resurgence, unfortunately) a wee bit earlier than previously planned. The trailer was going to debut in front of Star Wars: The Force Awakens later this week, but early Christmas has come early, and our ol’ alien pals are back.

Independence Day: Resurgence appropriately takes place 20 years after the events of Independence Day, as the world has united to form the Earth Space Defense, using tech leftover from the last alien invasion to build weapons to defend ourselves from potential future attacks. But how did we get to that point, exactly? A new prequel comic will help fill in the gaps.

20th Century Fox appropriately released the first Independence Day: Resurgence teaser on the Fourth of July, but since director Roland Emmerich was still in production on the long-awaited sequel, there was no actual footage in the teaser. And while we do know a few things about where Emmerich is heading with the new film, we still don’t have the slightest clue what to expect — but the director promises we’ll know a lot more around Christmas.

In the tradition of ScreenCrush series like You Think You Know Movies, You Think You Know TV, and Post Credits comes a brand new YouTube series: Top 5! Each week (or so; look we’re busy guys), ScreenCrush editor and critic Matt Singer will count down a particular topic from the world of movies (and probably write these introductory posts in the third person).

Inside Out, Magic Mike XXL and Terminator Genisys are the three biggest films you have to choose from at the theater this weekend, but here’s something that may help you make the decision a little easier: if you head out to see Terminator Genisys this weekend, you’ll be treated to a special early teaser of Independence Day: Resurgence.

Will Smith returning for an Independence Day sequel seemed like a real no-brainer: director Roland Emmerich’s original film, released in 1996, established Smith as a legitimate blockbuster star and helped earn him the nickname Mr. July. So why didn’t the actor return for Independence Day: Resurgence? Rumors have swirled about scheduling and pay, but Emmerich has the real answer, and it’s kind of…anticlimactic?

Director Roland Emmerich and the stars of the upcoming Independence Day sequel are currently participating in a livestream Q&A, which you can watch in the YouTube player above. One of the details recently revealed: Independence Day 2 is officially called Independence Day: Resurgence, and you can expect a lot more fighter pilot action, apparently.