“Independence Day” turns 25 years old
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/independence-day-movie-cast-oral-history-1234976626/
“As the beloved film turns 25, director Roland Emmerich, writer Dean Devlin and stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid and more look back at the battle to cast Will Smith, concerns over that famous Super Bowl ad, and a last-minute reshoot to save the ending.”
20th Century Fox was initially against casting Will Smith in Independence Day. Writer Dean Devlin says, "They said, 'You cast a Black guy in this part, you’re going to kill foreign [box office].'” The film went on to gross over $817 million worldwide.