Roland Emmerich is plenty busy putting together a sequel that's nearly two decades overdue, but I digress. This latest bit of casting should appease some fans of the original, as it's been announced that Brent Spiner will be making return trip to the world of INDEPENDENCE DAY. Best known for his portrayal of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Spiner went on to embody the eccentric Dr. Okun, who proved to be one of the more fun characters of the original film. Evidently director Roland Emmerich felt the same way, as he recently announced that he and Joey King (WISH I WAS HERE, WHITE HOUSE DOWN) have officially signed on to the sequel. You can check out Emmerich's original tweet below, as well as Brent Spiner's responses.
Brent Spiner's response to Roland Emmerich's announcement:
Replying to the claim that is character is dead:
Spiner and King join a growing cast that so far consists of Jeff Goldbum, Liam Hemsworth, Vivica Fox, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Jessie User. The original proved to be some fun, popcorn entertainment when it was released, but I admittedly haven't seen that movie in over a decade. On the flip side, Emmerich generally knows how to throw together a couple hours of entertainment, so perhaps the benefit of the doubt is in order. Besides, you can't put Jeff Goldblum into a movie and not expect to be entertained.
INDEPENDENCE DAY 2 will be released on June 24, 2016.
Perhaps this will be the tactic used in the sequel.