Just one month after 20th Century Fox moved Independence Day 2 from July 1, 2016 to June 24, 2016, the studio has finally given the green light for this sequel to move forward. Production is scheduled to begin in May 2015, with the studio now trying to close director Roland Emmerich's deal. We reported in February that Independence Day star Will Smith is not returning as Stephen Hiller.

There had previously been speculation that there may actually be two sequels shot back-to-back, but that isn't happening any more, with 20th Century Fox only giving the green light for one film. Casting will begin after the studio finalizes Roland Emmerich's directing deal, although no story details have been given. Original Independence Day star Jeff Goldblum revealed last month that his character David Levinson is in the most recent script.

Roland Emmerich and his Independence Day co-writer Dean Devlin wrote the original script, which was subsequently worked on by James Vanderbilt (White House Down) and, most recently by Carter Blanchard. Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin are also producing alongside Harald Kloser.

The original Independence Day grossed $811 million worldwide in 1996, with the sequel set to hit theaters almost exactly 20 years after the original. Are there any other Independence Day characters you'd like to see come back for the sequel? Chime in with your thoughts below.