It's official: There will be an 'Independence Day' sequel coming in 2016!

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over!

It’s a go for the long-discussed Independence Day sequel, with Twentieth Century Fox giving a green light to the film this week. Production will start in May on the follow-up to the 1996 alien-invasion hit.

Roland Emmerich has surprisingly not already signed a deal to direct, but given what he’s said about the film in the past months, that’s merely a formality. According to Deadline, the studio will start locking in a cast as soon as Emmerich is officially on board. Actor Will Smith won't reprise his role of Captain Steven Hiller from the original.

There had been speculation we might see two films shot back-to-back, but Fox only greenlighted one. The green light means that Fox, Emmerich and Devlin can release the film for the 2016 July 4 weekend, marking the 20th anniversary of the 1996 original that grossed $811 million worldwide.