Now, almost exactly 20 years later, 20th Century Fox is preparing to unleash a sequel on the world, entitled Independence Day: Resurgence.
That film was of course called Independence Day, and served to rocket Smith to A-list superstardom while setting new standards for destruction in sci-fi disaster flicks.
While some Independence Day fans would still argue that such a belated sequel is unnecessary, such opinions are beside the point at this juncture.
Independence Day: Resurgence opens in U.S. theaters on June 24th, 2016.