20 Movie Sequels That Took WAY Too Long

15. Independence Day: Resurgence

Getting an Independence Day sequel released within five years of the 1996 original should've been an absolute slam-dunk. 

The original was the second highest-grossing film ever at the time of its release, and a sequel didn't really have to be much more than "the aliens are back... because reasons."

But writer-director Roland Emmerich and co-writer Dean Devlin puzzlingly struggled to crack the premise for Independence Day 2, and it wasn't until the early 2010s that it finally started moving forward.

Yet development hit a major snag when Will Smith decided not to return - reportedly a combination of his own salary requirements and scheduling conflicts with Suicide Squad.

And so, Emmerich forged ahead with a sans-Smith sequel focused instead on his stepson Dylan (Jessie T. Usher) - a setup which mustered little enthusiasm.

Independence Day: Resurgence was finally released in 2016 to mediocre reviews while underperforming commercially, an outcome so forgone that Emmerich even later admitted his regret making the film without Smith.

If this sequel was made in the early 2000s with Smith's involvement, it would've been a monstrous hit regardless of its quality.