Remembering the Day We Fought Back

'Independence Day' Turns 25! Where Are the Cast Members Now?

While in Europe promoting Stargate, director Roland Emmerich said that while he didn't believe in aliens, he was still fascinated by the idea of contact with them. He then asked the reporter to imagine waking up in the morning to find massive spaceships hovering over the largest cities on earth. Emmerich then said to his producer, Dean Devlin, "I think I have an idea for our next film."

Independence Day became the highest-grossing movie of 1996, eventually winning the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The number of special effects shots in the movie may be due to the fact that the US military wasn't interested in assisting the production unless the references to Area 51 were omitted. Makes you wonder if they have something to hide. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this summer blockbuster, watch the video above to catch up with the cast.