Who thought that a big budget blockbuster like an “Independence Day” sequel can’t afford its marquee star?

During a press interview for “White House Down,” director Roland Emmerich confirmed that Will Smith will not return to star in the sci-fi sequel.

The reason? He’s too expensive.

Here’s what Emmerich said:

“Will Smith cannot come back because he’s too expensive, but he’d also be too much of a marquee name. It would be too much.”

Without going into specific details, some people are returning to the cast of the second movie. It is confirmed that Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum will return.

He added, “We have like maybe half of the people that you know would know from the first film and the other half people are new.”

And this week, Emmerich also mentioned that there will be only on sequel movie for now. It was originally slated for two sequels as “ID Forever Part I” and “ID Forever Part II.”

He told Collider that two films were planned for the story arc, but the studio wanted to see how the sequel will do in theaters.

Can the movie survive without Will Smith saving the world again?

Source: New York Daily News, Collider