There’s no shortage of earth-ending spectacle on director Roland Emmerich‘s resume, but his beloved 1996 alien invasion blockbuster Independence Day that first put him on the map as one of cinema’s foremost auteurs of the apocalypse. Now, the director is looking to up the ante with Independence Day: Resurgence. The sequel that reunites most of the original cast, picking up 20 years after the events of the first film when the alien threat returns to earth in full force, launching a new fight for humanity’s survival.
20th Century Fox recently debuted some new footage from the movie at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, and Collider’s own Steve Weintraub was on hand and able to sit down for a chat with Resurgence stars Maika Monroe and Jessie Usher. They talked about how 20 years worth of developments in filmmaking technology allows the film to have “larger than life” stakes, meeting Jeff Goldblum for the first time, working opposite their onscreen parents and their most memorable days on set. Check out the time index below for a rundown of what they discussed, and watch the full interview above. And if you’re looking for more Independence Day goodness, be sure to check out Steve’s fun interview with Jeff Goldblum and Brett Spiner here.