Twenty years after Roland Emmerich established himself as the auteur of the apocalypse with his alien invasion spectacle Independence Day, the director is putting the earth in mortal peril once more with the long-awaited sequel. Independence Day: Resurgence reassembles nearly the entire original cast including Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, and Brent Spiner, and welcomes newcomers Liam Hemsworth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, and Sela Ward for a new battle against the otherworldly threat, who return with an advanced and unprecedented force, hell-bent on humanity's extinction.

Now, a lot has changed in the real world over the last two decades, so we can only imagine how much life on earth would evolve after being ravaged by hostile extraterrestrials. Actually, now we don't have to imagine thanks to a viral video that brings us up to speed with planet's technological and humanitarian advancement since the devastating "War of 1996".

These kinds of in-world promotions are always partly fun, partly silly, but this one gets extra points for feeling exactly like the video they would play before an Independence Day theme park ride, and for making Jeff Goldblum say "As you know, it's taken a huge effort to get a big military base on the moon," with a straight face. Check it out in the video below.

Here’s the official synopsis:

We always knew they were coming back.  After INDEPENDENCE DAY redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale.  Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet.  But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force.  Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women  can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

For more on Independence Day: Resurgence, be sure to check out some of our recent coverage in the links below:

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Image via 20th Century Fox
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Image via 20th Century Foxu