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Producer/Writer Dean Devlin Updates 'Independence Day' Sequel

by Alex Billington
July 9, 2012
Source: THR

How was your 4th of July? Hopefully no aliens attacked your neighborhood. Its been 16 years since Roland Emmerich redefined the 4th with Independence Day, and for the last few years he's been trying to put together a sequel (last update was last October). Emmerich has been working with co-writer and producer Dean Devlin (The Patriot, Flyboys, "Leverage") to develop the sequel, but they haven't pushed to the point of production just yet. Devlin recently spoke to the Hollywood Reporter and updated them on the status of the Independence Day sequel, and while it doesn't sound ready yet, he is optimistic about it still happening.

Devlin told THR: "I can tell you that Roland and I have been working together for the first time in 11 years and we're every excited about the idea of doing it. Whether or not we can make this happen, if we can get all the pieces to come together, that's gonna be challenging. But creatively, for the very first time since we did the original, I feel we have a worthy concept, a worthy path to go." Ah, so they've got an idea, and it sounds like Devlin may be involved in writing it. We reported last year that Fox was entertaining the idea of back-to-back sequels, but details were hazy. "They're intended to be fulfilling movies onto themselves — you could see each separately and enjoy them — but they tell one big story." Devlin explains where they are:

"We resisted doing the sequel for years because we still wanted to honor the first one. The first one gave us all careers, and we really love that movie and loved the experience," Devlin explained. "We didn't want to make a movie because it was financially a good idea, we only wanted to do it when we had an idea and a concept that creatively felt like it honored the first one -- that it felt like an organic sequel as opposed to 'let's just go make some more money.'

"I feel like we got it," he continued. "I think it took a long time, but I feel like we finally got something that really feels like, 'that's worth seeing as a sequel to Independence Day.'"

I hope so. So what exactly does that mean? The aliens return with bigger, badder ships, more armies, pissed off? There's another threat to Earth? Does it all go down on Independence Day again (it has to, right)? If that's what he's talking about in regards to "worth seeing as a sequel to Independence Day sequel," then I'm all out. But I'd love to see them push for some new ideas, which it sounds like they may do if this ends up getting shot back-to-back. But Devlin says they're still working out those kind of details. "We're beginning a long process of talking to everybody. We'll just have to see what happens." As always with Hollywood, we just have to continue to wait and hope for the best. That is, if you still want to see this sequel. As long as it's true they have "a worthy concept", then I want to see it—and Will Smith as Captain Hiller—back in action.

For more from Devlin, read the THR piece, with a quote at the end hinting about the return of Stargate movies. "Our hope is that we can get another chance at Stargate and tell the entire story we wanted to tell."

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Ron

Holy crap! Has it been 16 YEARS since the original??! I'm getting old...
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001816659482 Jamal Young

Why would anyone go see a sequel,when every year since it came out theirs a destroy the planet movie
- SChooLer
  
  And People love 'em.... duhhh... whats the one this yr
http://twitter.com/raddestnerd ronald suk

Only if they bring back Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and his "family" - father and wife
Voice of Reason

Only if they can find a way to kill Randy off Quaid again
Ehsan Davodi

I think Independence Day was Cameo for Emmerich career. But Story is main problem with most of the works of this giant director(not all of his works). Story of his works is just OK. There isn't anything special or fascinating. He must deliver us some real and unforgottable characters. I don't want 2 dimensional , cardboard , caricature , cold characters anymore. I want he get more focus on human beings & relationships between them as much as he focus on Special Effects . Definitly this balance (i mean between charactrization and action) give us best cinematic experience in time of watching the movie because while we follow characters in between disaster , we do sympathy for them , care about them , love them and never forgett about them. Emmerich must avoid cliches. I love him. He is brave director and I'm waiting for this sequels.
Max Rebo

David Arnold was the true Star of those 2 films. His score for Stargate was one of the best in the last 20 years. Roland Emmerich's movies have not been the same since they parted ways during the Patriot. Both are bad ideas, just bring the show back.
max

"a worthy concept?" The original was a steaming pile of crap!
Adam Kares

Ugh no thanks. So many years after the first it will probably be like Boondock Saints 2, which had some good ideas in regard to the original, but you can tell it came 10 years too late. All of the actors looked old, just rehashed the old stuff that made the first movie good in a way that just wasn't as cool or original, so it just felt dated as hell. ID4 had it's moment, can we work on something original instead? I'm tired of seeing sequels/reboots of movies that NO ONE asked for.