The "Independence Day" sequel has officially been confirmed by 20^th Century Fox, twenty years after the success of the first film.

Hollywood Reporter confirmed the news. German director Roland Emmerich is in talks to direct the sequel of the 1996 blockbuster hit starring Will Smith. Emmerich also directed the original film.

Dean Devlin, the producer of the original film, also announced the good news on his Twitter account, saying, "Independence Day 2 has officially been greenlit by @20thcenturyfox! #IndependenceDay."

When asked back in June whether Smith will return to the sequel to reprise his role, Emmerich revealed that fans shouldn't get their hopes up.

"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 added.

Smith portrayed the role of Captain Steve Hillier in the movie centered around an alien invasion on July 4, Independence Day. According to Daily Mail, original cast members Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and Judd Hirsch may return for the sequel.

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.

Devlin and Emmerich co-wrote the sequel's original screenplay, with the script reworks done by James Vanderbilt (who was behind "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Zodiac").

According to Global News, production for "Independence Day 2" will start in May next year, as announced by 20^th Century Fox. It is slated to be released in theaters on June 24, 2016, just in time for the Independence Day weekend in the U.S. Filming will take place in Canada, particularly at the soundstages of Montreal's Cité Du Cinema.

"Independence Day" was released in June 25, 1996. It earned an estimate of $800 million worldwide and won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, with a nomination for Best Sound back in 1997, National Post reports. Daily Mail added that the film also had "a merchandising line which included action figures and toy vehicles as well as a video game."

Watch the theatrical trailer of the 1990s' sci-fi blockbuster "Independence Day" below.