Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day. What better way to celebrate than for director Roland Emmerich to release a sequel in 2016!

Despite the absence of leading man Will Smith as pilot Steven Hiller, the follow-up to the 1996 hit has been made with the title Independence Day: Resurgence.

The film’s official trailer has been released online which all but confirms that 2016 will be one action-packed year for cinema….

The story is set 20 years after the events of the original film with Earth being defended by a global defense system to avoid future alien invasions. However it proves to be ineffective as the extraterrestrials return to heap further chaos on the planet.

The footage reintroduces us to several characters from the original film including Jeff Goldblum as heroic scientist David Levinson, Judd Hirsch as his dad Julius and a bearded Bill Pullman as former US President Bill Whitmore. The latter’s iconic ‘Independence Day’ speech can be heard during the closing sections of the trailer.

However there are several newcomers to the cast which include Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games series, The Expendables II), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist, Nymphomaniac), William Fichtner (Prison Break, The Dark Knight) and Sela Ward (The Day After Tomorrow, Gone Girl).

Another significant change is the recasting of young characters Dylan Hiller and Patricia Whitmore who are now played in their mature years by newbies Jessie Usher (Level-Up, Survivor’s Remorse) and Maika Monroe (Labor Day, The Guest) respectively.

Independence Day: Resurgence will be released in cinemas on June 24th 2016.