We've been keeping an eye on Fox's long-awaited sequel to Roland Emmerich's 1996 blockbuster INDEPENDENCE DAY, and now we've learned that the film has tapped a new writer to come onboard the project.
Deadline is reporting that Fox has hired Carter Blanchard to come aboard the sequel to write a new draft. The reason for the new writer might be partially due to the fact that the film will be moving forward without Will Smith. You might recall that earlier this year it was officially confirmed that Will Smith was out of the INDEPENDENCE DAY sequel, but stars Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman were set to return.
Director Roland Emmerich was prepared for this eventuality, though, as they reportedly had ideas for two different sequels. One plot involved the return of Will Smith’s character from first movie. That script was written by Emmerich, Dean Devlin, and James Vanderbilt. The other sequel’s plot progressed the film’s story sans Will Smith, and presumably this is the plot that Carter is coming onboard to pen.
Carter currently has a relationship with Fox as he’s working on their upcoming Mark Millar film KINDERGARTEN HEROES. The company must feel confident with the work he’s doing for that project if they’re willing to bring him on to such a potentially high-profile picture as INDEPENDENCE DAY 2. He'll need to get cracking on his draft quick, though, as the film is due out on July 1, 2016.
More on INDEPENDENCE DAY 2 as we hear it.
Bill Pullman rules