‘Independence Day 2’ moves forward with a script with Will Smith and one without the ‘Men in Black’ star

While promoting the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD release for White House Down, Roland Emmerich told The Playlist that the status of Independence Day 2 is still ongoing, revealing a plan with and without Will Smith.

“A daily battle … The budget , the schedules, the actors … [but] It’s looking good,” Emmerich said. 

Emmerich was more evasive on this question, but then said screenwriter Jamie Vanderbilt had written “two versions” of the script.  One has Smith and one doesn’t.  Emmerich added that the version featuring Smith was looking good.

Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum are expected to return, and Michael B. Jordan is heavily tipped to have a role, which could be Hiller’s kid from the first movie but all grown up.

This leads to the question of how big Smith’s role can possibly be.  

If Hiller is a major character in the sequel, then he has a heavy influence on the plot.  If he’s a minor character, then it almost negates the point of having Smith in the first place, or it’s a major bait-and-switch. 

It’s also possible that the Hiller role could simply be swapped in for a new character.