'Independence Day 2' Movie Release Date: Film Delayed Until 2016

While "Independence Day 2" was intended for a 2015 release, the film has been delayed until 2016.

After Fox announced that it was pushing back "Fantastic Four," "The Secret Service" and "Assassin's Creed," the studio announced that "Independence Day 2" will be delayed a year. According to Box Office Mojo, the movie which was originally scheduled for July 3, 2015 and will now be released on July 1, 2016.

"Independence Day 2" is the second film to be moved out of the crowded slate. Previously, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" was pushed back to 2016 after Disney removed Jerry Bruckheimer's final cut powers.

The 2015 slate has become one of the most crowded slates in years. Among the titles are "Star Wars: Episode VII," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Jurassic World," "Finding Dory," "Cinderella," "James Bond 24," "Terminator 5," "Mission Impossible 5," "World of Warcraft," "Batman vs. Superman," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" and "Ant-Man."

"Independence Day 2" is slated to be directed by Roland Emmerich and is rumored to star Bill Pullman as President Thomas Whitmore. The film will be written by Dean Devlin.

The original "Independence Day" was released in 1996 and grossed $306 million domestically and $817 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews, with the critical consensus that "the plot is thin and so is character development, but as a thrilling, spectacle-filled summer movie, 'Independence Day' delivers," according to Rotten Tomatoes. Fittingly, the movie won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

20^th Century Fox will next release "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and "Walking with Dinosaurs."