Independence Day is a 1996 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring an ensemble cast including Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum. The plot follows a devastating alien invasion on July 2, where giant spaceships destroy major cities, forcing a group of survivors to launch a desperate counterattack on July 4—Independence Day in the United States. Conceived by Emmerich while promoting Stargate, the film was released on July 3, 1996, and became a landmark in the 1990s disaster and sci-fi blockbuster genre. It grossed over $817 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1996 and the second-highest-grossing film ever at the time, while winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Considered a pivotal turning point in Hollywood blockbuster history, it spawned a sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, released in 2016.