Independence Day 2 is Waiting on Will Smith

Published by Jeff Leins on October 15, 2009

If you were dying to know why there hasn’t been a sequel to Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day, the biggest blockbuster hit of 1996, here’s your answer:

Everyone is waiting on Will Smith.

In 2008, 20th Century Fox CEO Tom Rothman told the IESB.net, “We would love to do it, it’s really a matter of Roland, it’s up to Roland. He knows that we’d love to do it… We would be very excited to do it because I think, yes, that story definitely can and should continue.”

Of course he does.  The movie made $306 million over 13 years ago.  Just for comparison, (without adjusting for inflation) that would make it the #2 movie of 2009 behind Transformers 2.

But is Roland Emmerich really the problem?  I find that hard to believe with his continuous string of destruction movies.  Luckily LatinoReview asked Emmerich about it and he gave the real reason for the sequel’s hold-up.  “FOX has not quite figured out how to incorporate Dean’s and my deal, and Will’s 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.”

Emmerich has apparently been battling with the studio who sees it possibly without Will Smith, who would obviously be the main draw for an audience to return.  Smith is also one of the few bankable stars remaining in Hollywood.

Since ID4, Smith has started his own production banner as Overbrook Entertainment.  The company allows him to produce his own movies and other passion projects like The Secret Life of Bees.  He’s likely asking for a partnership that would include Overbrook in the process along with any gross points he deserves.

Apparently there’s even a plot being kicked around already for the follow-up.  “Oh yeah! There’s a story. There’s a very really good great story, a very cool one,” Emmerich said.

What do you think?  Would you want to see another ID4 or are you thinking, “Aw hell no!”