Their massive bulks blocked out the sun and spread panic like a disease in the streets below. The sheer size of their ships made them seem like gods. The destroyer spacecrafts in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day carried more than just aliens, they also held an overwhelming sense of dread that was unleashed when they slowly erased the blue sky above, and we could see them return with an even more intimidating presence when Independence Day 2 hits theaters next summer. Though rumors on who will star in the sequel have been swirling around for a while, the first concrete casting news has now come in, as the lead actor has been revealed for Independence Day 2, with the cast member playing a role with close ties to the original film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jessie Usher (Survivor's Remorse) has been cast in a prominent role for Independence Day 2. Usher will "play a central character in the new film and also the son of [Will] Smith’s character."

For those unfamiliar with Independence Day, which hit theaters in the summer of 1996, the film starred Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller, a wisecracking fighter pilot who teamed up with the super smart David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) to take down a mothership housing aliens intent on destroying humans on a massive scale. Steven eventually became the step-father to Jasmine Dubrow's (Vivica A. Fox) son, Dylan, in the original film, but there's no word yet if Usher will be playing an adult version of Dylan or a son that Steven later had with his wife. A very young Dylan was played by Ross Bagley in the first movie.

As far as other casting news goes, The Wrap reports that Liam Hemsworth is rumored to join Independence Day 2 as the son-in-law of the (probably former) President of the United States, Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman, who could be reprising his role in the sequel), though his definite involvement has not been confirmed at this time. Will Smith, meanwhile, will not be coming back to play Steven in the sequel.

Independence Day 2 is slated to hit theaters from 20th Century Fox on June 24th, 2016. Roland Emmerich, the director of the original Independence Day, will direct off a script by James Vanderbilt and Carter Blanchard (who was hired for rewrites). Dean Devlin and Harald Kloser are producing the project alongside Emmerich. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more details.

Jessie Usher:

Source: THR
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.