Twenty years after Roland Emmerich's Independence Day became a wildly successful summer blockbuster, the property is making a comeback on the big screen. This year sees the release of a sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, which picks up in real time following the events of its predecessor. Though original star Will Smith did not return for the followup, Emmerich has still assembled an impressive ensemble for the second installment. Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Vivica A. Fox are among those reprising their roles from Independence Day, and they're joined by newcomers including Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, and Maika Monroe.
With just under a month to go until its premiere (at the time of writing this), Fox is ramping up their marketing efforts. Recently, a viral video was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the War of 1996 (i.e. the action depicted in the first film), and an extended trailer running nearly five minutes showcased the grand scope of Resurgence. Now, the promotional blitz continues as a collection of one-sheets illustrating the various locales that the aliens will be attacking this time around, after their famous initial strike on the White House.
As Goldblum's David Levinson has remarked in some of the previews, "they like to get the landmarks," a fact proven with this posters. During their next invasion, the extraterrestrials will be hitting famous structures such as the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Eiffel Tower in France, Big Ben in London, and the Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay in Singapore. Check them out below:
Much like the trailers, these posters hint at the mass amounts of destruction and spectacle that will be featured in Resurgence. Emmerich seems to be following the old sequel mantra of going bigger and bolder. The mothership the aliens arrive in this time is significantly larger than the original Independence Day, said to be sitting over the entire Atlantic Ocean as it takes its position. The enhanced scale shouldn't come as a surprise, since Emmerich has stated that "big ideas" fueled the screenplay. Not only are the aliens attacking with more firepower, the humans have used technology left over from the first wave to better society. Chances are, the battles between the two sides are even more visually stunning in Resurgence, especially with the benefit of modern special effects and CGI.
Time will tell if Resurgence can leave the same kind of impact ID4 made back in 1996, but it looks to be in decent shape. Nostalgia for classic cinematic brands is at an all-time high, as evidenced by Jurassic World's record-shattering performance last year. In addition, Resurgence finished second in Fandango's Most Anticipated Summer Movies survey, so it seems to be in sizable demand as the season heats up. It's been a while since we celebrated our Independence Day at the multiplex, but this could be a true event that appeals to multiple generations and scores big at the box office when it's all said and done.
NEXT: Independence Day 2 Extended Trailer
Independence Day: Resurgence hits theaters June 24, 2016.
Source: 20th Century Fox