Well, this certainly came out of left field.
Disasterporn maestro Roland Emmerich announced a hasty press conference this morning that kinda came out of nowhere – not at all unlike a well timed RKO – that promised to reveal news about his upcoming sequel to Independence Day that’s been some 20 years in the making.
The presser also happened to feature practically the entire principal cast from the film – Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Liam Hemsworth, Brent Spiner, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, Jessie Usher, and Angelababy.
Among the usual vague revelations that people-who-can’t-talk-about-plot-specifics let forth, Emmerich revealed the official title of the film – Independence Day: Resurgence. Cue the hastily thrown-together title announcement video!
The official title puts to bed other rumoured names like ID4ever and simply Independence Day 2. Beyond that, Emmerich also revealed a couple of neat looking props that the film will be utilising.
Hosting the conference from one of the actual sets for the film – which is currently shooting in New Mexico – both a modified fighter jet (harnessed with alien hovering technology) and a neat looking rover-like vehicle known as a “Moon Tug” were unveiled.
Anybody want to take this thing for a spin? Get an exclusive first look at the Moon Tug! #IndependenceDayLive RT! pic.twitter.com/x6EX095A20
— Roland Emmerich (@rolandemmerich) June 23, 2015
Emmerich also confirmed that the film we be set in a version of modern day Earth that would exist 20 years after the original alien invasions – referred to in the film’s world as the “War of ’96.” The Earth has since united in one giant, global community, which both benefits and hinders them in the face of a new alien threat arriving.
The whole press conference itself was – cards on the table here – a bit of a mess, and included some major accidental spoilers coming from both Goldblum and Spiner, which Emmerich verbally chastised them for. It’s hilarious in a “half the movie’s ruined for you” kinda way.
So watch the conference at your own peril. Although the pay off at the end is you get to see Goldblum be hilariously awkward with a selfie stick. So… y’know… at least there’s that.
Independence Day: Resurgence is scheduled to hit cinemas on June 24, 2016. Almost exactly one year from now.
via /Film.
