Independence Day (1996) and Battleship (2012)

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two very big blockbuster films, one of which had more joy finding an audience than the other.

1996's Independence Day came together at surprising speed, with creative duo Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin wary that Mars Attacks! was on the way too. And there was the small matter of getting the film's Superbowl trailer right as well.

Battleship was to be the first of up to six pictures based on board games and Hasbro properties at Universal, but at one stage, the studio's new chairperson had a choice: accept a $30m write-off, or carry on with the picture.

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