"Independence Day 2" is really happening even without Will Smith, who was one of the lead stars in the first movie.
Director Roland Emmerich made the announcement on social media last March. "Excited to Officially announce @LiamHemsworth and #JeffGoldblum as the next two pieces of the #IndependenceDay sequel," he wrote on Twitter.
The 59-year-old filmmaker also shared the photo of the two actors on Facebook.
"First you strategically position your pieces, and when the time is right, you strike," Emmerich wrote. The director revealed during an interview with NY Daily News that Will Smith won't be returning because he's too expensive and he'd be too much of a marquee name."
Just recently, the Roland Emmerich revealed the official title of the upcoming sequel - it is now called "Independence Day: Resurgence." According to the Independent, the title was confirmed at a press conference in Albuquerque, where the German film director was joined on stage by returning cast members including Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner as well as newcomers Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Sela Ward, and Maika Monroe.
Roland Emmerich also explained why he chose the title "Resurgence" for the second installment. "We call it in the film the War of '96," he said. "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 resurgence."
Apart from the title, the official synopsis of "Independence Day 2" was also revealed by Den of Geek. Check it out below:
"We always knew they were coming back. After INDEPENDENCE DAY redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle 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."
Watch Jeff Goldblum and Liam Hemsworth fight the aliens in "Independence Day: Resurgence" on June 24, 2016.
