Vivica A. Fox Returning For INDEPENDENCE DAY Sequel
When Independence Day 2 hits theaters, it will be almost 20 years to the day after the first film was released. The sequel has been in development for years, but director Roland Emmerich is finally moving forward with it and he's continuing to wrangle up his cast. We know that Jeff Goldblum will be back to reprise his role, with Liam Hemsworth possibly playing Bill Pullman's character's nephew or son-in-law. (Does that mean Mae Whitman will be back as his daughter? And what about Pullman himself? Still no word on that.) Jesse Usher is playing the son of Will Smith's Steven Hiller, and now there's a new addition to the cast that will be in the same family: Vivica A. Fox is back as Jasmine, Hiller's exotic dancer girlfriend/wife.
On paper, the return of Jasmine will make Will Smith's absence seem even more glaring. But who knows - maybe the writers have figured out a way to have the story work organically without him. I have a feeling we're going to get a quick one-line explanation of why he's not around, and hopefully the movie is good enough that we won't miss him too much. He was such a big part of the first film's success, though, so it's tough to imagine this far out how he'll be replaceable.
Independence Day 2 will arrive in theaters on June 24, 2016.