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Independence Day’ Airs Tonight on Sat.1, With Streaming Options Available

The 1996 blockbuster remains a fixture thanks to effects-driven spectacle that helped define the modern disaster film.

Overview

  • The film is scheduled for Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 20:15 on Sat.1, and it is also available to stream on Disney+ or to rent or buy via Magenta TV.
  • Roland Emmerich’s sci‑fi hit was made for about $75 million and grossed over $817 million worldwide, including more than $306 million in the U.S. and Canada, with roughly 9.2 million admissions in Germany.
  • Review aggregators cite durable appeal, with 69% positive press reviews and a 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7/10 rating on IMDb, as critics praise the effects while noting patriotic overtones.
  • Production notes include the Pentagon declining support over the film’s Area 51 storyline and a California shoot that triggered more than 150 UFO reports due to a lighted helicopter.
  • The movie helped propel Will Smith to international stardom, whereas the 2016 sequel drew only about 1.45 million theatergoers in Germany.