Independence Day sequel
A special effect shot from the blockbuster movie, "Independence Day"Reuters

The sequel to "Independence Day" has been officially titled "Independence Day: Resurgence" and the news was officially announced by the director of the movie Roland Emmerich in a live stream with the cast.

Will Smith is not be returning for the sequel, which stars returning cast members Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner and Bill Pullman. They will be joined by newcomers Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Judd Hirsch and Sela Ward.

The director revealed in the live stream that "Independence Day: Resurgence" is set 20 years after the alien attack featured in the first film. The plot will see humans joining forces to set up a global defence system to avoid further invasions.

"We call it in the film the War of '96. It's like a post-World generation that's unified, and that's amazing to see a world come together with a common enemy. That's a resurgence," Emmerich said about the plot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This new initiative will be led by Goldblum's character Levinson, who already faced the threat in the first movie. Meanwhile, Hemsworth will play Jake, an orphan who lost his parents in the first attack.

"Jake lost his parents in the first attack, he grew up in an orphanage, and eventually joined the military and became a fighter pilot, and eventually became one of the best of the best fighter pilots," Hemsworth said. "I think his ego kind of got in the way, he made a bad decision and put someone's life at risk, and he got the great job of driving this moon tug, which is basically a forklift on the moon."

Ward plays the president of the United States, and she is someone totally different from Pullman's President Thomas Whitmore. "It's a totally different political landscape. She's tougher, more decisive, not afraid to use force, more aggressive. Sorry, Bill," Ward said during the Q&A.