Independence Day (1996 film)

Independence Day (also promoted as ID4) is a 1996 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, Harvey Fierstein, and Harry Connick. The film focuses on disparate groups of people who converge in the Nevada desert in the aftermath of a worldwide attack by an extraterrestrial race. With the other people of the world, they launch a counterattack on July 4—Independence Day in the United States.
While promoting Stargate in Europe, Emmerich conceived the film while answering a question about his belief in the existence of alien life. He and Devlin decided to incorporate a large-scale attack having noticed that aliens in most invasion films travel long distances in outer space only to remain hidden when reaching Earth. Shooting began in July 1995 in New York City, and the film was completed on June 20, 1996.
Considered a significant turning point in the history of the Hollywood blockbuster, Independence Day was at the forefront of the large-scale disaster film and sci-fi resurgence of the mid-late 1990s. It was released worldwide on July 3, 1996, but began showing on July 2 (the same day the film's story begins) in original release as a result of a high level of anticipation among moviegoers. The film received mixed to positive reviews, with criticism for its characters but praise for the performances and visuals. It grossed over $817.4 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1996, surpassing Twister and Mission: Impossible. It also became the second-highest-grossing film ever at the time, behind Jurassic Park (1993). The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.
A sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, was released 20 years later on June 24, 2016, part of a planned series of films.
Category:Films