Independence Day 2 Author Reveals Story Plan for Will Smith’s Original Sequel
When that was announced independence Day got a sequel, everyone was excited for the return of Will Smith’s pilot, Steven Hiller. However, with time Independence Day: Resurgence Finally arriving Smith did not have on board and Jessie T. Usher was assigned as Hiller’s stepson to take the lead. Although the film starred original stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Judd Hirsch, Smith’s lack of involvement was a major factor in the film underperforming at the box office and the franchise being virtually shelved before the planned third film could even get into the cinemas. Now, writer/producer Dean Devlin has revealed what the original plan was for Smith’s character in the sequel.
independence Day was released in 1996 when Will Smith had a huge hit streak including: men in black, and grossing $817 million made a sequel the most logical outcome. However, it was 20 years agoIndependence Day: Resurgence finally hit theaters and only grossed $389 million. While this wasn’t a total disaster, they fell far short of the numbers everyone was expecting. When speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment, Devlin explained the original plan for Will Smith’s character before the actor left the film. He said:
“Before we wrote a word, we met with Will Smith and said, ‘That’s the idea we have.’ He loved it and was super excited to make it. We wrote not one but two sequels for him and put them in the studio. They were crazy and immediately gave the green light; they told us, “This is the best first.” The draft we’ve ever read of a screenplay. … It was a bit like Rocky III. He had gotten rich and famous and he needed to get the tiger’s eye back, you know? He’s a little too lazy and it’s his chance to bring old Will Smith out of retirement.
Will Smith’s departure from Independence Day 2 scuppered the film
Will Smith was in full swing reprising his role as Steven Hiller until the 11th hour, leading to the story of Independence Day: Resurgence According to director Roland Emmerich, it will be completely rewritten within two weeks. Additionally, Devlin noted that the studio wanted the film to be more serious and draw on the humor that was a big part of the original film’s success. At a time when Marvel movies were already hitting the box office, it’s not surprising that Devlin felt the change was wrong, but at the time there was little he could do.
If Independence Day: Resurgence It would have been a much bigger success with Smith on board, and we’ll never know that the script didn’t have to be cut up at the last minute. What is a little clearer is that at the moment there seems to be no one in a hurry to renew their plans independence day 3and while Will Smith is currently trying to reclaim his position in Hollywood after last year’s Oscar night disgrace, a return to fend off another alien invasion is unlikely to succeed.
