How many Independence Day movies are there?

By Alex Wiggan

In 1996, the epic sci-fi disaster movie, Independence Day (ID4) made its thunderous debut. The film – starring Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum – told the story of a world-ending alien invasion, which takes place across the US Independence Day holiday.

In the film, the aliens arrive on Earth on July 2nd and begin to attack key locations across the planet. In a fight for survival, humanity launches a counter attack on July 4th.

Mixing state-of-the-art special effects with a rip-roaring storyline, Independence Day was a huge blockbuster and a real crowd-pleaser. Upon making its debut, Independence Day was met with a positive response from audiences and it quickly became a box office smash.

Due to the continued popularity of Independence Day, a sequel followed, picking up the story twenty years later. But how many Independence Day movies are there?

For all the explosive details and more, keep reading!

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The Independence Day movies in order

Independence Day (1996)

As noted above, the first movie in the sci-fi series opened in cinemas in 1996. Independence Day followed the story of an ensemble cast – led by Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum – who find themselves caught up in a terrifying alien invasion.

During the course of the movie, the human race faces extinction from a deadly extra-terrestrial threat. However, thanks to a counter attack, led by Captain Steve Hiller (Smith), David Levinson (Goldblum), and President Whitmore (Pullman), humanity begins to turn the tide. (145 mins)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Following the continued success of Independence Day, which remained a popular movie long after it left movie theatres, 20th Century Fox (the studio behind the picture) gave the green light for a sequel. This sequel would arrive in 2016, under the title of Independence Day: Resurgence, and would continue the story.

Picking up in real time, the United Nations has created the Earth Space Defense program, as a way of pre-empting any future alien invasions. This program, as well as the human race, is put to the test once again when a second invasion is on the horizon. (120 mins)

The Independence Day movies in chronological order

To date there are two entries in the Independence Day movie series. The movies appear in the following order:

Independence Day (1996)
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

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Who are the cast of the Independence Day movies and are the movies the work of the same director?

Notable cast members in the Independence Day movie series include Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Harvey Fierstein, Adam Baldwin, Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch, James Duval, Harry Connick Jr., Mae Whitman, Liam Hemsworth, Jessie T. Usher, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sela Ward, Joey King, and William Fichtner.

Roland Emmerich is the director behind both movies.

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Which is the best Independence Day movie?

According to IMDb, the Independence Day movies are rated as follows:

Independence Day (1996) – 7.0/10
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) – 5.2/10

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Editor/writer/alien

Alex Wiggan

Alex is the writer and editor of It’s A Stampede! – a blog which specialises in movies, TV, comics, retro toys, and general geekery. He is a championing voice in nerd content, an expert in pop culture, and a trusted movie critic who publishes new reviews on a weekly basis. After graduating with a degree in film & television studies from the University of Derby in the UK, Alex went on to study journalism in Sheffield, before acquiring NCTJ accreditation. Prior to creating It’s A Stampede!, Alex was a magazine editor, a senior copywriter, a features writer, and a freelancer.

Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Independence Day movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.