He’s on the verge of unleashing his latest blockbuster, Independence Day: Resurgence, and Roland Emmerich is turning his thoughts to apocalypses new. If Resurgence's box-office takings warrant it, a third Independence Day instalment will likely follow. A storyline is already percolating in the writer/director’s mind and will have more than a touch of the _Interstellar_s about it.
"The next one will be an intergalactic journey,” Emmerich tells Empire. "It'll be [set] maybe a year or two later, not 20 years [on]. I want to maintain this group of people, especially the young characters, and Jeff [Goldblum] and Brent [Spiner] will take part in it. It'll be fun to keep that group together.” Would this famously sequel-shy filmmaker hand the reins to another director? Not likely. "Will I definitely direct it? Oh yes. I'd never, ever let someone else do it."
Caution Independence Day: Resurgence spoilers follow.
One of Resurgence’s plot threads sees a benevolent alien race pop up in our orbit with news of a giant space civil war. This conflict, a kind of extra-terrestrial version of Anchorman’s news team fight, has aliens teaming up against the space bastards currently threatening Earth. In a possible third part, humanity will be joining that fight. "I imagine them now going in one of these ships they've rebuilt into a wormhole,” explains Emmerich, adding: "I think it'll be the classic of going into space but it has to be about Earth, and we have a really good idea for that."
Watch this, well, space. In the meantime, look out for Independence Day: Resurgence in UK cinemas from June 23. For plenty more from Emmerich, including his favourite disaster movies, visit his takeover of the Empire website.
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