Several years back, it was announced that there would be two sequels coming for ID4, one of the biggest sci-fi flicks of the ‘90’s. But the big question remained…would Will Smith return? Finally the speculation has ended, and Smith is taking a pass.
It’s been reported that the ID4 sequels had a backup plan of two scripts, one with Smith, and one without, so the sequels will go forward with or without him. And as Giant Freakin Robot tells us, Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich are hoping to have the movie ready for July 4, 2016, the 20th anniversary of the original. Jeez, was it that long ago I was waiting in line for hours on opening day to see it?
Michael B. Jordan, who’s currently gaining a lot of momentum as a movie star, is reportedly up for a role, and Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman will be back for more ID4 fun, so all isn’t lost.
One reason Smith won’t be coming back is his price is very steep. Supposedly he wanted $50 million to star in the ID4 sequels, and according to Deadline, his backend deals make it very hard for the studios to make money. This is also why Smith probably won’t be back in the next Men in Black movie, which is apparently in the works to be rebooted, just like every movie these days.
