Century Fox recently announced that there would be a sequel to the 1996 blockbuster hit Independence Day, and while fans are excited to see a reunion between lead characters Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum director Ronald Emmerich has informed that Smith will not be returning for the sequel as he is “too expensive.”
Emmerich tells New York Daily News, “Will Smith can not come back because he's too expensive, but he'd also be too much of a marquee name. It would be too much."
He also explained, “We have like maybe half of the people that you know would know from the first film (in the script) and the other half people who are new.”
The 1996 sci-fi hit saw Smith as Captain Steven Hiller who, alongside David Levinson (Goldblum), battled to stop an alien invasion before they destroyed life as we know. The film also starred Bill Pullman as the president, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid and Judd Hirsch.
News of the sequel first surfaced Friday following years of speculation that the film would see a sequel. In 2010 it was reported that Smith had already signed on to star in two Independence Day sequels despite Fox’s reluctance to fulfill the actors $20 million sign on demand. Emmerich did not hint at who would hold the leading role in the sequel, uncertainly titled "ID Forever, Part I.” He did, however, reveal, "We're not doing a total reboot, we're doing something that's totally unusual.
The Independence Day sequel is slated to hit theaters in 2015.
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