Independence Day the sequel is really happening without Will Smith

Los Angeles – It’s been a big year for sequels and the much anticipated sequel for the 1996 hit Independence Day is really happening, without will Smith though.

At an Independence Day Live Q&A session held in New Mexico the director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin revealed the title of the film and the cast.

Independence Day: Resurgence will star old and new cast including: Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Liam Hemsworth, and Vivica A. Fox.

Meet the cast of Independence Day Resurgence ???? # IDR pic.twitter.com/6NIVVrzscH

— Dean Devlin (@Dean_Devlin) June 23, 2015

The long-awaited sequel to the sci-fi classic will see Liam star try to rescue the planet by taking to the surface of the moon.

He explained the backstory of his on-screen character, saying: "Jake lost his parents in the first attack, he grew up in an orphanage, and eventually joined the military and became a fighter pilot, and eventually became one of the best of the best fighter pilots.

"I think his ego kind of got in the way, he made a bad decision and put someone's life at risk, and he got the great job of driving this moon tug, which is basically a forklift on the moon."

Jeff Goldblum, who returns as scientist David Levinson, explained he is leading a new initiative designed to safeguard the planet from future alien attacks.

He said: "Having faced that last challenge, we're all working in a beautiful way under one [goal]."
Independence Day: Resurgence will hit cinemas in June 2016, with the release designed to mark the 20th anniversary of the original movie.

Watch the highlights of the cast interview and a teaser trailer here:

Here's a throwback to the original: