Maika and the cast of Independence Day Resurgence were in Japan for the press tour, we have added various new photos to the gallery…

One of the newbies in the Independence Day: Resurgence cast is Maika Monroe, a professional kitesurfer turned actress, who plays Patricia, the daughter of President Whitmore (Bill Pullman). Ask Monroe, best known for playing Jay Height in the supernatural cult favorite horror film, It Follows, and she’ll tell you that she can’t wait for audiences to see this summer’s blockbuster. Read on for more.

What are audiences going to be most stunned by in the film?

How massive it is. Roland [Emmerich] blew everyone away when the first film came out in the ‘90s with the technology he had then. Everything he is able to use now is crazier and bigger.

What did you love about your character?

She is kick-ass. She’s a secret service agent who not only works in the White House with President Lanford, but she’s also a fighter pilot. She’s smart, too. I think that’s always something that I really like in female characters. I grew up kitesurfing so the physical aspect of roles is always really fun for me, too.

Can you give us a behind-the scenes take on what shooting was like?

We had so much fun because everyone was so welcoming and Jeff [Goldblum] was especially so pleasant on set all the time. We would be shooting for 18 hours and we got tired. You get exhausted and you’re waiting around a lot, but Jeff was always having us play games and doing fun stuff and keeping everyone happy, which is really nice to have on set instead of hearing people complain.

What sorts of games?

We played a movie game. We did a lot of that where Jeff would name a movie and we’d name the actors and directors. He would have us singing songs and harmonizing, too. All of this makes everything much more pleasant.

So what’s next for you?

I’m about to go to Serbia to start shooting a science fiction thriller called Tau that’s directed by Federico D’Alessandro that I’m super excited about. Right after Independence Day, I shot this film The Tribe of Palos Verdes with Jennifer Garner. It’s a really cool story that should be coming out at the end of the year. I’m excited about it, too. It’s a way different pace from Independence Day!

How do you pick your projects?

For me, it’s first about the characters. I look for a character who is intriguing and challenging and different from what I’ve done before. I like challenges. I think that’s important. Next, I look at who is involved with the project, including the directors and other actors. If I think they’re doing cool work, I want to be part of it. That’s the part that’s so exciting for me.

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.

We have added x portraits of Maika Monroe at the Independence Day Resurgence Press Conference on March 31st 2016 to the image gallery …

Decades after original ID4 alien attack, Earth is threatened with a new extra-terrestrial threat, but will the planet’s installed space defenses be enough?