Fans of 1996 alien blockbuster Independence Day will have to wait even longer to see the sequel after studio bosses pushed back the release date by a year.

A follow-up to the huge hit, which earned $817 million (£544 million) at the worldwide box office, is in the works, with Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum signed up to reprise their roles.

The movie was slated for release in July, 2015 release to coincide with America's Independence Day weekend, but chiefs at 20th Century Fox have now confirmed the project will not hit the big screen until 12 months later on 1 July, 2016.

The new date means the sequel will be released exactly 20 years after the original.

Director Roland Emmerich previously revealed he has been in talks with the original film's star Will Smith to return to play Captain Steven Hiller. The sequel will be set 20 years on from the original alien invasion, when the extra-terrestrials' reinforcements from outer space finally arrive.