Cross another film off of Will Smith’s list of potential projects. After a disappointing third-place opening for After Earth, reports are circulating that Smith will not be coming back for the Independence Day sequel.
In a recent interview in Complex Magazine, director Roland Emmerich said that Smith will not be returning as the film’s protagonist.
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“Will Smith cannot come back because he’s too expensive, but he’d also be too much of a marquee name,” Emmerich told Complex. “It would be too much.”
Smith, who rose to superstardom in the 1996 original that grossed over $300 million, is not having his typical marquee summer. His recent film, After Earth opened to less-than-stellar numbers and currently has not cleared $60 million.
It is also unclear which of the other original stars — Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica A. Fox and Harry Connick, Jr. — will return for Independence Day 2.
Emmerich said, “We’re not doing a total reboot, we’re doing something that’s totally unusual. I think some aliens will be back.”