'Independence Day 2' Cast & Latest News: Liam Hemsworth to Replace Will Smith in Sequel
Now that "Independence Day 2" is officially in the works without Will Smith in it, many have been wondering about who will replace the actor as the lead star of the film. Some reports are claiming that hunk actor Liam Hemsworth is currently being eyed to fill Smith's shoes.
The Wrap reported the news, saying that the "Hunger Games" star was offered a lead role in the sequel titled "ID Forever," according to "multiple sources familiar with the project." However, a representative for 20th Century Fox didn't comment on the news.
According to The Wrap, Roland Emmerich will be in the director's chair, while Carter Blanchard will be re-writing the first draft of the script which James Vanderbilt originally penned. Emmerich will also produce the upcoming movie alongside Dean Devlin and Harald Kloser.
Aside from Hemsworth, Michael B. Jordan is also rumored to star in the film, The Wrap reported. Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, on the other hand, are expected to reprise their respective roles as David Levinson and President Thomas Whitmore.
Back in June, Emmerich revealed the reason why Smith won't come back in the sequel for his Captain Steve Hillier role.
"Will Smith cannot come back because he's too expensive, but he'd also be too much of a marquee name. It would be too much," he told NY Daily News. "We have like maybe half of the people that you know would know from the first film (in the script) and the other half people who are new."
Emmerich, who also directed "The Day After Tomorrow" and "White House Down," stated that they are planning to do something out of the ordinary for "Independence Day 2." "We're not doing a total reboot, we're doing something that's totally unusual," he said, as quoted by NY Daily News.
On the other hand, Hemsworth being cast in the lead role will "definitely mean a change in dynamic for the series," Cinema Blend pointed out. The casting will more or less likely highlight the Millenial generation, and is "certainly a smart move in the sense that the awesome-but-aged franchise could likely use any donations of momentum from the phenomenal success of 'The Hunger Games' series -- in which Hemsworth plays a prominent part."
"ID Forever" is set to premiere in theaters on June 24, 2016, nearly 20 years after the original film was released, Cinema Blend reported.
What do you think? Will the film succeed even without Will Smith?