IESB.net is reporting that 20th Century Fox is moving forward with the sequel for Independence Day with actor Will Smith.

Recently, writer/producer Roland Emmerich [said] Fox just wasn't willing to cut their teeth over the list price for one Will Smith. Being the only movie-star in the world (an actor who guarantees asses in seats), Smith gets $20 million up front plus first dollar gross. That alone has stopped the studio cold from moving forward. Until now it seems.

IESB.net has received a tip that Will Smith is now locked for not only Independence Day 2, but also a third installment. The plan would be to shoot both films back-to-back. According to our sources, if all goes according to plan, the sequel(s) could shoot as early as 2011.

Director Roland Emmerich is currently slated to helm his William Shakespeare thriller, Anonymous, while actor Will Smith is leaning towards The City That Sailed or Men in Black 3. Could this be the next project for both? Only time will tell.

The original film brought in a total of $817,400,891 in worldwide box office receipts.

Stay tuned for more production info on what Emmerich purposed to call the sequels: ID4-ever: Part I and ID4-ever: Part II.