Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin, and stars an ensemble cast that consists of Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, Vivica A. Fox, and Harvey Fierstein. The film focuses on disparate groups of people who converge in the Nevada desert in the aftermath of a worldwide attack by a powerful 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. Devlin and Emmerich 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 on July 28, 1995, in New York City, and the film was completed on October 8, 1995.
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 reviews, with praise for the performances, musical score and visual effects, but criticism for its characters. It grossed over $817.4 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1996 and the second-highest-grossing film ever at the time, behind Jurassic Park. The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.
The sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, was released 20 years later on June 24, 2016, as part of a planned series of films.
Cast[]
| Character | Actor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Captain Steven Hiller (Independence Day).png | Captain Steven Hiller
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Will Smith | |
| File:President Thomas J. Whitmore (Independence Day).png | President Thomas J. Whitmore
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Bill Pullman | |
| File:David Levinson (Independence Day).png | David Levinson
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Jeff Goldblum | |
| File:Russell Casse (Independence Day).png | Russell Casse
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Randy Quaid | |
| File:Marilyn Whitmore (Independence Day).png | Marilyn Whitmore
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Mary McDonnell | |
| File:Jasmine Dubrow (Independence Day).png | Jasmine Dubrow
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Vivica A. Fox | |
| File:Dylan Dubrow (Independence Day).png | Dylan Dubrow
|
Ross Bagley | |
| File:Tiffani (Independence Day).png | Tiffani
|
Kiersten Warren | |
| File:Albert Nimzicki (Independence Day).png | Albert Nimzicki
|
James Rebhorn | |
| File:Julius Levinson (Independence Day).png | Julius Levinson
|
Judd Hirsch | |
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International versions[]
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
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Cantonese | 天煞-地球反擊戰 |
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Czech | Den nezávislosti |
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French (Canada) | Independence Day: Le Jour de la riposte |
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French (Europe) | Independence Day |
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German | Independence Day |
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Hindi | Independence Day |
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Hungarian | A függetlenség napja |
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Italian | Independence Day |
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Japanese (Theatrical) |
インデペンデンス・デイ |
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Japanese (TV Asahi) |
インデペンデンス・デイ |
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Japanese (In-Flight) |
インデペンデンス・デイ |
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Korean (MBC) |
인디펜던스 데이 |
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Korean (SBS) |
인디펜던스 데이 |
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Mandarin (China) | 地球捍卫战 |
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Portuguese (Brazil) | Independence Day |
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Slovak | Deň nezávislosti |
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Spanish (Latin America) | Día de la Independencia |
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Spanish (Spain) | Independence Day |
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Thai | ไอดี 4 สงครามวันดับโลก |
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Turkish | Kurtuluş Günü |
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
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Bulgarian (BNT 1) |
Денят на независимостта |
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Bulgarian (bTV) |
Денят на независимостта |
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Polish | Dzień Niepodległości |
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Russian (Gemini) |
День независимости |
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Russian (Kinomania) |
День независимости |
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Russian (NTV) |
День независимости |
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Russian (Premier Video Film) |
День независимости |
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Russian (Channel One) |
День независимости |
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Russian (Gavrilov) |
День независимости |
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Russian (Zhivov) |
День независимости |
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Ukrainian (ICTV) |
День незалежності |
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Ukrainian (TET) |
День незалежності |
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Ukrainian (Cikava Ideya) |
День незалежності |
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
|
Finnish | Independence day – Maailmojen sota |
|
Hebrew | היום השלישי |
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Portuguese (Portugal) | O Dia da Independência |