Movie News: “INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE” INVADES BOX-OFFICE WITH P100 MILLION OPENING WEEKEND

Blockbuster filmmaker Roland Emmerich’s latest alien-invasion action epic “Independence Day: Resurgence” won the local (Phils.) box-office war when it opened with a whopping PhP 100 million nationwide on its opening weekend. “Independence Day: Resurgence” surpassed its blockbuster predecessor’s (“Independence Day”) feat by more than 200% for its opening weekend. 

"Independence Day: Resurgence” is currently in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D screens across the nation and has recorded outstanding gross receipts in the following top twenty (20) theaters.  Among the top 20 highest grossing cinemas include: SM MALL OF ASIA (4.4 million),; SM MEGAMALL (3.8M); SM NORTH EDSA (3.3M); TRINOMA (3.3M); GLORIETTA4 (2.3M); POWERPLANT (2.2 M); GATEWAY/ ALI MALL (1.97M);  GREENBELT 3 (1.95M); BONIFACIO HIGH STREET (1.64M); ALABANG TOWN CENTER (1.58M); SM CEBU (1.57M); SM CLARK (1.43M); SM AURA (1.42M); THEATREMALL (1.41M); UPTOWN (1.4M); SHANG CINEPLEX (1.33M); AYALA CEBU (1.32M); EASTWOOD (1.18M); SM SOUTHMALL (1.16M) and NEWPORT (1.13M). This covered the first five day period  June 22 -27.   

 Directed by Roland Emmerich and produced by Dean Devlin, “Independence Day: Resurgence” stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe and Angelababy. The film takes visual spectacle and human-alien war to new heights.  The aliens are back with a vengeance. “Independence Day: Resurgence,” represents director Roland Emmerich’s huge return to the genre that made him famous. The 1996 original shot into the public imagination with its vistas of destruction, its memorable characters and huge impact on both science fiction and disaster movies. With giant alien spaceships unleashing incredibly devastating power upon the world, it took brain, brawn and heroics to figure out a way to fight back.

Now, 20 years later, humanity has united to rebuild the world’s major cities, while salvaged alien technology has been utilized to work on solving many big problems such as climate change. But the lingering threat of the extra-terrestrials’ return still hangs over our heads and the Earth Space Defence programme has formed to be ready for when that day comes. Ominously, it appears that man’s greatest enemy is indeed back.

"Independence Day: Resurgence” is now on its second week in cinemas nationwide. The film is  a 20^th Century Fox presentation distributed by Warner Bros. 

Movies: “INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE” NOW SHOWING IN MORE THAN 300 SCREENS NATIONWIDE (2D, 3D AND IMAX)

The latest epic battle “Independence Day: Resurgence” by director Roland Emmerich is set twenty years after the alien invasion that nearly decimated the planet and presents an alternate reality to our world today. 

 The backstory of “Independence Day: Resurgence” begins in 1996, during an ordinary summer day when, without warning, something extraordinary happened. All eyes turned upward and the question of whether we were alone in the universe was finally answered.  In a matter of minutes, the lives of every person across the globe changed forever. With the fate of our planet at stake, the words “Independence Day” took on an entirely new meaning.  No longer was it solely an American holiday. It would be memorialized as the day the entire world fought back against a common enemy. 

The aftermath of what became known as the War of 1996 saw half of Earth’s population annihilated.  Humanity had never come so close to total obliteration.  Those who survived the Alien attack to rebuild our world would never forget the fallen and forever remember that unity is our greatest strength.

 Aside from a small pocket of resistance in the African Congo, the Alien threat was neutralized—and the world began to rise from the ashes.  Reconstruction started immediately as the great cities, monuments and landmarks of the world were slowly restored to their former glory.  The near destruction of humankind had an unexpected but welcome effect, as centuries-old conflicts and political distrust dissolved to create an unprecedented cooperation among the nations of the world.  Harvesting recovered Alien technology from the aftermath of the War of 1996, the unified nations spent the last two decades rebuilding and collaborating on an immense defense program to protect our planet from off-World invaders.   The Earth Space Defense (ESD) program served as an early warning system and a united global defense unit.   After years of research and development from ESD scientists around the world, the next generation of Alien-human vehicles and weapons systems were introduced.  

 “Independence Day: Resurgence” expands the mythology of the Independence Day universe by putting the band back together—reuniting original cast members from the first film—as well as  introducing new players from around the world led by Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman with new characters played by Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Jessie Usher, Travis Trope, William Fichtner and Sela Ward.   

For director Roland Emmerich, the ensemble is a dream team.  “It’s exciting to see this handover from one generation to the next,” he notes.  “We have veteran heroes from the first film making way for a team of new ones.  With the original cast on set, and off, it’s like a 20-year class reunion—the class of ‘96.”

 Producer Dean Devlin notes:  “The most rewarding part of the project is being on set with these actors again and seeing that they are not just as good as they were then; they’ve gotten even better.  When you’re writing the script, you wonder, ‘What’s it going to be like 20 years later?’   Then, our returnees work on this film, and they just light up the screen and our new team shines, as well.  It’s the perfect mix.”

 "Independence Day: Resurgence” is now showing in more than 300 screens nationwide from 20^th Century Fox distributed by Warner Bros.

Movie News: Independence Day: Resurgence Sydney Photo-Call

Let's talk about that Independence Day: Resurgence Sydney Photo-Call, I personally love the candid black and white shot. 

Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth and director Roland Emmerich's recent press tour in Sydney, Australia for INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (opens in Philippine cinemas June 22).  

The gentlemen stopped for a photo call in front of the famed Sydney Opera House.

Movie News: FULL-THROTTLE DEFENSE AGAINST ALIENS IN “INDEPENDENCE DAY:RESURGENCE” ON JUNE 22

After “Independence Day” redefined the event movie genre and became a worldwide hit, its follow-up epic chapter, “Independence Day: Resurgence” delivers a new global spectacle on an unimaginable scale.  The most anticipated event movie of the year “Independence Day: Resurgence” stars Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Maika Monroe, Bill Pullman, Jessie Usher and Sela Ward directed by Roland Emmerich.   

 Liam Hemsworth heads the cast of newcomers, portraying Jake Morrison. Raised as an orphan, Jake is a hotshot heroic fighter pilot of Alien-human hybrid jets. The looming Alien invasion may just do that for Jake, just as it changes the life of David Levinson, again portrayed by Jeff Goldblum.  In the first movie, it was Levinson who figured out how to stop the Alien threat in the great War of ’96 while Bill Pullman reprises his role as former U.S. president Thomas J. Whitmore, who led the planetary defense in 1996.  Due to his close encounters with the Aliens at that time, Whitmore has undergone what medical professionals refer to as Alien Residual Condition. Severe internal changes have left Whitmore haunted and disturbed, and “knowing” what the Aliens know.  He has visions of their impending return and dark premonitions of the Aliens’ plans for Earth.  Another of the film’s many strong female roles is U.S. President Lanford, portrayed by Sela Ward.  Having previously faced a global catastrophe in Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow, Ward was ready to tackle another massive threat, but this time as the commander in chief.

For director Roland Emmerich, “Independence Day: Resurgence” marks a return to the universe he and co-writer and producer Dean Devlin created two decades ago.  They captured cinematic lightning in a bottle—electrifying audiences around the around the world with drama, action, fun, unforgettable characters, and a presidential speech that’s still quoted today.  In the movie, we find the world using recovered Alien technology wherein the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet.  But nothing can prepare us for the Aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force.  Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Notably, the new film is Emmerich’s first sequel.  “This world is very special to me, and I wanted to do right by it and the characters,” says the filmmaker. “Enough time has passed that it all felt fresh to me.”  Also nudging Emmerich back to the world of Independence Day was the chance to employ visual effects that were light years ahead of those available twenty years ago.

“Independence Day: Resurgence” transports the audience into the midst of the action where one of its set pieces include an Alien spaceship that’s a super-structure of unfathomable size, and has a gravitational pull that wreaks havoc with the entire planet, hitting all of the famous landmarks on Earth. “Independence Day: Resurgence” is that kind of boundary-pushing juggernaut, mixed with a playfulness not typical for this genre.  “This one is so much bigger than ID4,” says Jeff Goldblum, who reprises his starring role as scientist/world savior David Levinson.  “But the film’s spirit of fun, wonder and delight is just as important.”

 In fact, as Emmerich notes, the characters and fun are now taking center stage.  “Audiences really like these characters,” he explains.  “We’ve expanded the universe of Independence Day, and I can’t wait for people to experience it.”

I'd definitely love to see the original film again, it came out in 1996. I was around 9 years old at that time! 

 "Independence Day: Resurgence” opens June 22 in cinemas from 20^thCentury Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.  Available in 2D, 3D and IMAX screens across the Philippines.