Long gestating since the original was released to over $817 million worldwide in 1996, becoming that year’s top-grossing movie, it seems director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin are pushing ever closer to making Independence Day 2 (and 3) a reality. One of the biggest sticking points of the sequel was whether Will Smith, star of the original, would return as Cpt. Steven Hiller. Well it seems we, and the filmmakers, have finally got their answer: a definitive no.
Deadline reports that sources close to the studio have said that Smith has turned down the chance to return to the franchise. The site does say that with Smith having previously gone backwards and forwards on whether he would return, this is not 100% certain, although they hear he has pretty much decided to decline.
Despite that, 20th Century Fox and the creators will continue with their plans for the sequel, so much so that current writer James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man) has been working on two versions of the script, one with Smith and one without.
With rumours from the same site that Smith has also hung up his shades and black-suit with regard the Men in Black series, it looks like the actor is perhaps taking a break from the franchise arena. He can next be seen in this summer’s Focus, co-starring Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street). Meanwhile ID Forever Part I is still set for another July 4th weekend release in 2016.
Originally published February 8, 2014. Updated April 11, 2018.
