Released in 1996, Independence Day is not only one of my favorite moviegoing experiences, but it’s the movie that turned me into a Roland Emmerich supporter/apologist. Since then I have made it a requirement to see every movie from the director and with one notable exception (10,000 B.C.), I haven’t been let down. So, to hear my favorite popcorn movie director is potentially returning to the alien invasion subgenre of science fiction is enough to make my day.
Deadline reports that Centropolis Entertainment, Emmerich’s production company, has bought a pitch for a large-scale sci-fi movie called Emergence from writer Nic Kelman. Plot details are non-existent but it will be an alien invasion story that mixes in real-world science so take that for what it’s worth.
Emergence was bought with Emmerich in mind to direct, but German-born director has other stuff on his plate at the moment, including two Independence Day sequels and the occasionally mentioned Singularity, so it’s unknown if/when he’ll get around to it. But I’m willing to wait out if that means I get more popcorn sci-fi from Roland Emmerich on my big screen. I will never throw shade at an idea like that, even if I probably should.
Emmerich’s next directorial effort, the thriller White House Down, hits theaters on June 28.
Any thoughts on Emergence despite having little to go on?