It's the End of an Era for the Greatest Sci-Fi Blockbuster on Netflix

Published May 15, 2026, 7:57 AM EDT

Independence Day chronicles the stages of an alien invasion as Earth is visited by a race of extraterrestrials hell-bent on wiping out humanity. What separates it from other sci-fi movies is that Emmerich opts to make everything as big as possible​​​​​. The spaceships are the size of cities, with weaponry that can turn an actual city into a crater. On top of that, the invaders, better known as the Harvesters, don't just want humans dead; they want to drain Earth of all its natural resources. Even the cast features plenty of huge names, including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman. It's no surprise that Independence Day made an impact before, during, and after its release; this is a movie that's designed to stand out.

'Independence Day' Forever Changed Blockbuster Filmmaking

Independence Day owes its existence to another Roland Emmerich movie, Stargate. During a press tour for Stargate, Emmerich and Dean Devlin were asked if they really believed that aliens built the pyramid. In response, Emmerich threw out the idea of a spaceship the size of a football field arriving at Earth — and then immediately told Devlin, "I think we have our next movie." The duo promptly wrote the script for Independence Day in less than a month and sold it to Fox, but even then, they ran into roadblocks. In an oral history celebrating Independence Day's 25th anniversary, Emmerich told The Hollywood Reporter that he had to fight for the movie's original title and release date in the wake of Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!:

"I told the studio, "There is this Tim Burton movie. It is a comedy. The comedy cannot come out first. So we have to tie in Independence Day.' At one point Bill Mechanic, who took over the studio, came to me and said, 'We tested the title. It’s not working really well. We want to open this movie on Memorial Day.' I said, 'Tough luck. It stays Independence Day. It will be released on Independence Day.'"

Emmerich's gamble paid off, as Independence Day became the highest-grossing movie of 1996. Its effect also extended beyond the screen, shaping how blockbusters are made and marketed to this day. Not only was Independence Day one of the first movies to air an ad during the Super Bowl, but its use of massive set pieces also reshaped how blockbusters are made. Who could forget the iconic moment when one of the Harvesters' ships obliterates the White House? But the person who benefited the most was Will Smith. Independence Day transformed him into a sought-after movie star, and started a trend of his most successful movies releasing on Independence Day weekend — earning him the fitting nickname "Mr. 4th of July".

30 Years Later, 'Independence Day' Remains A Singular Achievement

Given the massive impact that Independence Day had on blockbuster filmmaking and pop culture, it's no surprise that a sequel eventually came to light. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, alongside most of the original Independence Day cast, reunited to bring Independence Day: Resurgence to the big screens in 2016. In a bit of meta-narrative brilliance, the story even takes place 20 years after the original movie and focuses on a new stage of war between humanity and the Harvesters. Resurgence failed to capture the same box office returns as its predecessor, due to Will Smith declining to return and the fact that blockbusters had evolved in scope and scale since the first Independence Day.

30 years after its release, Independence Day remains one of the most influential and iconic blockbusters in science fiction history. Even modern-day movies have paid homage to it, as Predator: Badlands features a blink and you'll miss it appearance of a Harvester's skull. Sci-fi fans owe it to themselves to watch a piece of movie history before it disappears from Netflix's catalog.