Jeff Goldblum is back as David Levinson, the New York satellite technician who helped save the world from alien invasion in 1996.
Levinson isn't the only Independence Day character who returned for the sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence -- Bill Pullman and Vivica A Fox are also back.
The old guard is joined by new blood, too, including cast Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Joey King, William Fichtner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Angelababy and Sela Ward as the President of the United States of America.
Goldblum says the technology has changed in the 20 years since the first film came out, but he's more excited about the new cast members.
"The great Liam Hemsworth, new other wonderful people like Charlotte Gainsbourg," he says.
"In those Lars Von Trier movies, I love [Hemsworth] and those movies; Nymphomaniac, Antichrist and Melancholia, another end of the world film. Incredible."
Goldblum describes Hemsworth as a "shockingly sweet guy" and says the pair make a good team, although the younger actor couldn't name a favourite performance of the older. He is a big fan of the original Independence Day, though.
"At the time it did so well because in a way, it was the first of its kind," says Hemsworth.
"It was the first film to do something so epic and grand. To completely end the world, have that threat. That's something Roland Emmerich does so well, I think he pioneered that genre."
Independence Day: Resurgence opened in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday.
Newshub.