Ahead of Independence Day, Vivica A. Fox is reflecting on her time starring in the alien-invasion film franchise of the same name — both with and without Will Smith.
In a recent interview with the AV Club, Fox stated that she wasn't a fan of "Independence Day: Resurgence," which premiered 20 years after the original "Independence Day" came out in 1996.
Fox reprised her role as Jasmine Hiller in the 2016 follow-up, but Smith did not return as Capt. Steven Hiller for the long-anticipated sequel.
"I just didn't feel like it was good and it lived up to the first one," Fox told AV Club. "I really feel we missed out by not ... bringing Will Smith back."
Although "most of the original cast" returned for "Independence Day: Resurgence," Fox added, Smith was "the one true link that was missing" and inhibited the film's success.
When it debuted July 3, 1996, "Independence Day" broke box-office records and became an instant hit among audiences and most critics. Two decades later, "Resurgence" tanked at the box office and garnered overwhelmingly negative reviews. (The disaster movie received an abysmal 29% rotten rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.)
To put things in perspective, the 1996 original made about $10 million more domestically in its opening weekend than the 2016 sequel — and that's without adjusting for inflation.
"I'm gonna keep it real," Fox continued.
"I was at the premiere [of 'Independence Day: Resurgence'], and I was like, 'Mmm. Mmm. Let's see how the fans are gonna feel about this.' And sure enough, on Twitter they blew me up."
"Independence Day" is available to stream now on Starz, while "Resurgence" can be rented or purchased through video-on-demand platforms.
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