Independence Day helped usher in a new era for blockbusters after it became the highest-grossing movie of the year. Audiences were thoroughly entertained by humanity's efforts to fight off an alien invasion in the lead-up to and on the Fourth of July, and the positive reception turned Smith into a bona fide movie star. Independence Day also starred Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Randy Quaid, Mary McDonnell, and Judd Hirsch.
Emmerich attempted to make magic again with the 2016 sequel Pullman recreating his iconic President Whitmore speech in an ad for Budweiser. This year holds some extra affection for Independence Day, since it is the 25th anniversary of its release.
In honor of that landmark anniversary, THR gathered Emmerich, screenwriter Dean Devlin, and several of the stars for an oral history of Independence Day. When looking back on the casting, Emmerich and Devlin recalled how 20th Century Fox didn't like their idea of Smith for the role of hotshot pilot Steven Hiller. "It was pretty clear it had to be Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum. That was the combo we thought," Emmerich said. "The studio said, 'No, we don’t like Will Smith. He’s unproven. He doesn’t work in international [markets].'" Devlin added that, specifically, the studio said, "'You cast a Black guy in this part, you’re going to kill foreign [box office].'" The two replied with, "'Well, the movie is about space aliens. It’s going to do fine foreign.'"
Devlin explained that it was quite a battle with Fox, and that "Roland really stood up for [Smith]." In the end, they won, though it came down to the wire. "It was pretty shortly before the shoot and we still hadn’t locked in Will and Jeff. I put my foot down," Emmerich said. "'Universal people are calling every day, so give me these two actors or I move over there.'" He acknowledged that it probably wouldn't have been possible to move like that, but it was "a great threat." What followed is cinematic history, with Smith going on to be a massive movie star and his onscreen partnership with Goldblum being one of the highlights of Independence Day.
Ethan Hawke was briefly considered for Smith's role, but it's safe to say Emmerich and Devlin were smart to trust their guts. It's impossible to picture anyone else as Hiller. Despite all that, Smith opted not to return for Independence Day: Resurgence, instead choosing to star in Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. It was a move that actually proved to be a smart once, since Suicide Squad was the bigger movie in 2016. Still, fans might have enjoyed seeing Smith return. Luckily, the first Independence Day continues to live on, thus allowing audiences to enjoy his performance year after year.
Source: THR
