We’ve been pretty excited about Independence Day 2 for a while now. First it was the mere existence of the film, then it was the various returning cast members (no, not Will Smith), the new faces, and even the announcement of a new President who has a mighty tough speech to live up to. And all the while, we’ve been enthusiastically pondering names: Independence Day 2 The Extreme? ID4ever? The Second Fourth? Action Fraction? Well, dream no more, because The Hollywood Reporter is here to send those dreams crashing to Earth. (“Welcome to Earth,” it says, while punching you unconscious.) In a live stream with the cast on Monday, director Roland Emmerich revealed the name of the upcoming blockbuster: Independence Day Resurgence.
Emmerich also announced the sequel would take place 20 years after the events of the original film. During that time, humankind has apparently joined forces to “organize a global defense system using alien technology to preempt future invasions,” which, given how the aliens were defeated the first time, probably just consists of a MacBook Air manned by a stoned teenager. “We call it in the film the War of ’96,” Emmerich said, demonstrating the kind of deft creativity for which Hollywood screenwriters are famous. “It’s like a post-World generation that’s unified, and that’s amazing to see a world come together with a common enemy. That’s a resurgence.” He offered no details on what a “post-World generation” consists of, though they probably all bond over the lack of experiencing being on a world, or its attendant gravity.