Though he hasn't been without controversy in recent years, Will Smith is still one of Hollywood's biggest money-makers. His newest movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, proved to be a big hit, but in honor of the fourth of July, fans are visiting another one of the actor's blockbusters that's now nearly three decades old.
In 1996, Smith starred in the alien invasion movie Independence Day. His character, Steven Hiller, is a U.S. Marine pilot who chooses to fight back when an extraterrestrial race descends upon the planet. One of the film's most memorable and often-quoted scenes is when Smith's Steven literally punches an alien creature in the face before spouting the one-liner, "Welcome to Earth." By the end, Steven and Co. save the day by launching a massive counterattack on Independence Day. Of course, that focus on the holiday has forever made the film associated with the fourth of July, and Smith is trending with fans praising the Oscar winner for saving not just the United States, but the entire world.
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Roland Emmerich directed Independence Day, which was co-written with producer Dean Devlin. along with Smith in the lead, the movie starred Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid, Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner, and Margaret Colin. The film was a tremendous hit at the box office, earning over $817 million to become the highest-grossing movie of the year. It was highly acclaimed as well, winning an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
"Today we remember how will smith bravely saved us all for our Independence Day!!!"
The movie was given a sequel, but it took 20 years for it to be released. The film, called Independence Day: Resurgence, revealed that Smith's character had died following the events of the original film, thus explaining why Smith did not return to reprise his role. Behind the scenes, Smith said he'd turned down the project so he could star as Bloodshot in David Ayer's Suicide Squad.
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“It was one of those things — I had a couple of films lined up, I had Concussion and Suicide Squad, and so it was a decision, timing-wise, between Independence Day and Suicide Squad,” Smith said in a BBC Radio 1Xtra interview in 2016. “The world is in a place of nostalgia right now. Specifically in entertainment, there’s such a pull for nostalgia, so it was just the perfect opportunity and it didn’t work out.”
Will Smith Passed on the Independence Day Sequel
Emmerich returned to direct Independence Day: Resurgence, while some returning stars included Pullman, Goldblum, and Hirsch. The Witcher star Liam Hemsworth and Maika Monroe also starred. The film was not as big of a success as the original movie, grossing $389 million against a hefty $165 million budget. Reviews were also unkind on the sequel, which holds a 29% Rotten Tomatoes score, quite a fall from the 68% score of the first installment.
To revisit Independence Day, fans can find the movie streaming on Hulu.
Source: X