You can add yet another highly anticipated sequel to the genuinely crazy 2015 release schedule.  In addition to The Avengers 2, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Jurassic Park 4, Finding Dory, and the concluding chapter of The Hunger Games series, 20th Century Fox has now dated Independence Day 2 for release on—what else—the Fourth of July weekend in 2015.  This confirms that the follow-up to Roland Emmerich’s 1996 blockbuster is indeed happening, as the world is not going quietly into the night.  ID4 2 is one of two proposed Independence Day sequels currently in development, and Emmerich recently revealed that the films will take place 20 years after the events of the first film, at which point the aliens finally return with reinforcements.

Will Smith is not expected to return, but Bill Pullman will reprise his role as the (now former) President of the United States. However, the story will primarily focus on younger characters with Independence Day 2 ending with a cliffhanger that leads into the third film.  Hit the jump for more, including release date shuffles for X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Assassin’s Creed, and Peregrine’s Home for Peculiars.

independence-day-movie-image-2
Image via 20th Century Fox

Emmerich is expected to direct Independence Day 2, given that he co-wrote the script for the two sequels with Dean DevlinLast we heard, Emmerich had handed over the screenplay to his White House Down scribe James Vanderbilt for some rewrite work.  Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see if audiences are still hungry for a sequel to a sci-fi film that first hit theaters nearly 20 years ago.  The only other film currently slated for release on July 3, 2015 is an untitled Illumination Entertainment project, though Pirates 5 is set to open the following weekend.

2015 is turning into one hell of a year for film, as in addition to the aforementioned sequels we’ll also see the release of The Fantastic Four and Ant-Man.  Moreover, Disney is still hoping to have Star Wars: Episode VII in theaters by then, and Warner Bros. will likely be targeting a 2015 release date for the fast-tracked Man of Steel sequel.  Hold on to your butts, folks.

x-men-days-of-future-past-hugh-jackman-nicholas-hoult

In other Fox release date news, the star-studded X-Men: Days of Future Past and the Matt Reeves-helmed follow-up Dawn of the Planet of the Apes have swapped 2014 dates.  The former will now kick off summer movie season next year on May 23, 2014, while the Apes pic will open in the heart of the tentpole atmosphere on July 18, 2014.  X-Men will now be released opposite the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore romcom Blended, while Apes will square off against the Disney sequel Planes: Fire and Rescue—though it faces stiff competition by opening the weekend after Fast & Furious 7.

In other new date news, the feature film adaptation of Ransom Riggs’ novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has been set for release by Fox on July 31, 2015.  Now titled Peregrine’s Home for Peculiars, the story centers on a teenager who finds the old orphanage his grandfather used to tell him about, but discovers that its unusual residents may have been more dangerous than he was led to believe.  Kick-Ass and Stardust scribe Jane Goldman wrote the script and Tim Burton has been eyeing the pic as a directorial vehicle.

Additionally, the Michael Fassbender-fronted Assassin’s Creed film has been pushed back from May 22, 2015 to a prime summer date of June 19, 2015.  The video game adaptation will open opposite Pixar’s Inside Out.

assassins-creed-wallpaper
Image via Ubisoft