To attempt to sum up all the ways that “Independence Day: Resurgence” failed as a sequel would take all day. There’s the plot, which was absolutely ridiculous (but in a painful, not fun way), the subpar acting, the uninspired direction, and so much more. Needless to say, there are plenty of film fans that wish ‘Resurgence’ just never existed. And surprisingly, one of those people is none other than Roland Emmerich, the film’s director.
Speaking to Yahoo, Emmerich was asked what inspired him to take another stab at the “Independence Day” franchise, which not only launched the director into superstardom but also served as the breakout role for the film’s star Will Smith. Apparently, the idea of ‘Resurgence’ began simply enough, with a desire to replicate that first film’s success, but the director says that somewhere along the line, things changed and he should have bailed when he had the chance.
“I just wanted to make a movie exactly like the first, but then in the middle of production Will (Smith) opted out because he wanted to do ‘Suicide Squad,’” explained Emmerich. “I should have stopped making the movie because we had a much better script, then I had to really fast, cobble another script together.”
He added, “I should have just said no because all of a sudden I was making something I criticized myself: a sequel.”
READ MORE: The Uninspired ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Is Recycled, Disjointed Mush [Review]
As mentioned above, the feeling of regret not only affected Emmerich but also those who spent money to watch the film in theaters. The film made just shy of $390 million worldwide, which isn’t a terrible number, per se, but when you compare it to the $817 million that the first film grossed more than two decades prior, you can see why everyone was disappointed with the sequel’s box office.
So, will there be a third “Independence Day?” Judging by these comments, if there is, it’s unlikely that Emmerich will be involved.