@moviesheavenupdates: Will Smith had already starred in “Bad Boys,” but Hollywood still saw him primarily as the sitcom star from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Producer Dean Devlin later recalled Fox’s warning: “You cast a Black guy in this part, you’re going to kill foreign [box office].” Director Roland Emmerich said the studio also considered Smith unproven internationally. Ethan Hawke had also been offered the role but hated the script so much he threw it out of a car on a Texas highway. Director Roland Emmerich eventually threatened to take the entire movie to Universal unless Fox approved Smith and Jeff Goldblum. Emmerich later admitted he probably couldn't have carried out the threat. It worked anyway, and Fox agreed to cast both actors. Ironically “Independence Day” earned $817M worldwide, including more than $511M overseas, and became 1996’s biggest movie. Smith starred in “Men in Black” the following year. Can you imagine “Independence Day” with Ethan Hawke? 😳 #WillSmith #IndependenceDay #Movies

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Tuesday 06 October 2026 17:33:03 GMT