now that's what *i* call a close encounter

Will Smith Won’t Be in Independence Day 2

First, Will Smith was definitely not going to be in Independence Day 2 (a.k.a. Independence Days), with director Roland Emmerich saying he was too expensive. Then, Smith reconsidered. Now Deadline reports that Smith is officially out. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt had been working on two versions of the sequel anyway — one with and one without Smith — so this news won’t hinder production. Still, we feel bad for the new aliens, who will have to have someone else welcome them to Earth.

Will Smith Won’t Be in Independence Day 2