In “Independence Day” director Roland Emmerich brought us the near destruction of the earth by aliens. In THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW the enemy is an even more devastating force: nature itself.

ROLAND EMMERICH, who is credited as director, producer, for screenplay, and story on DAY AFTER TOMORROW, directed and executive-produced the historical epic “The Patriot,” starring Mel Gibson. He directed and executive-produced “Godzilla” and “Independence Day,” and co-wrote both films with producer Dean Devlin. He also directed and co-wrote the 1994 science-fiction adventure “Stargate” with Devlin, the film’s producer.

In 1992 Emmerich made his American directorial debut with the action adventure hit “Universal Soldier,” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. He also produced “Eight Legged Freaks” and “The Thirteenth Floor.”

Emmerich is a native of Germany. In his youth he pursued painting and sculpting and studied production design in film school in Munich. His student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle,” opened the 1984 Berlin Film Festival and became a success, selling to more than 20 countries.

 Emmerich formed his own production company, Centropolis Film Productions, and under its auspices produced “Making Contact” (a.k.a. “Joey”), which showcased the young filmmaker’s vast knowledge of special effects; and “Ghost Chase,” a comedy he co-wrote with Oliver Eberle. Emmerich went on to direct the action-adventure “Moon 44,” which he co-wrote with Eberle and which starred Malcolm McDowell, Michael Pare, Lisa Eichhorn and Dean Devlin.

At its core, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW is a disaster film, with Mother Nature as the antagonist. This type of genre of film has flourished for decades, through earthquakes, towering infernos, and capsized ocean liners, even natural intergalactic incidents. Why do audiences love the disaster genre so much? What is it that makes these films so appealing to such a widespread audience?

“If the world goes down, you’re forced to take a look at your life,” says director Roland Emmerich, “and audiences know that when they watch a disaster movie. They have to think about their life and they have to make decisions like what they really want and whom they love. It’s scary and exciting at the same time.

“That’s why I love these kinds of movies,” he added. “I also wonder what would I do…even when I am in the middle of making a movie I ask myself ‘What would I do in this situation?’ It’s a compelling question and sometimes the answer isn’t any easy one.”

Over the years I’ve had the chance to visit with director Roland Emmerich, thanks to Dean Devlin, on the sets of “Independence Day” and “Godzilla” as he set siege to New York City. In an overly air condition room in New York City we tried to keep warm over a cup of coffee as we spoke about his latest film, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.

Joseph B Mauceri: You’ve been working on DAY AFTER TOMORROW for quite some time. Did you begin working on this film as far back as “Godzilla?”

Roland Emmerich: I discovered the book during the filming of “The Patriot.” I tried to acquire the rights, which was very difficult because the rights had already been sold to another company. A short time after that I began writing this script.

World Of Fandom: Good science fiction is a combination of human drama and certain points based on scientific facts. As you were writing DAY AFTER TOMORROW you were in a unique position that writers like Wells and Verne might have been jealous of. Several fictional elements of you screenplay began to come true.

Roland Emmerich: It’s not only that they happened in the last 2 or 3 years, they actually happened before. It’s just that they are now happening more frequently and to a larger extent. The weathermen will tell you that the last decade was the hottest it’s been in 1500 years. They been studying this warming, which puts more energy into the atmosphere. It has to be released, and in my film it creates this big disaster.

The book I read made it clear that abrupt climate changes usually happens before a lot of severe weather. It zigzags, and than it drops. It was eerie actually watching this happen.

It was also eerie when the Pentagon released the report about global warming that is almost the scenario of out movie.

World Of Fandom: THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW makes a few political and philosophical comments. The studio releasing your film is owned by News Corp., a conservative company, did you have any debates with the studio about the tone of your movie?

Roland Emmerich: No because we wrote all that material before there was a studio involved. When we felt the script was right we went to all the studios and did an auction. They had to approve of the script, the title, and I had to have final cut. Once they approved the budget the studio had no influence on the film. I did this on purpose because I knew that the movie is subversive and has many political ideas in it. The studio new they could change it, but they did give us very good notes because of that. They were very careful and respectful of the material. They could only gives us notes on things of non-political nature, like camera points, and they gave us very good notes.

Whenever a studio is in the driver’s seat, it’s terrible. I don’t envy the first and second time directors who have to work with the studios. I also don’t envy the filmmakers who make independent films and have to deal with folks like Harvey Weinstein. It’s not a life I’d like to lead. Here are these young and aspiring filmmakers who think that they’re getting their big break to make a film and than these suites come in start giving them all these notes. Than when they’re done they have to have their film put through these test screenings where 19 year-olds get to decide what your ending is supposed to be. When you’re in my position, it’s actually fun to make a movie. I can freely decide what I want and nobody can do anything to my movies anymore. I’m really happy and have total control.

World Of Fandom: And that control gives you more freedom.

Roland Emmerich: It makes it such a harmonious process. I’m totally open to any suggestion, from anyone. I someone is pulling a cable behind me and mutters something I want to know what he said. I constantly try to absorb all the information around me and than make my decision.

World Of Fandom: A few weeks ago I was coming out of a New York downtown movie theater and there was a representative of a local paper asking people if they saw the trailer and if they felt it was too soon after 9/11 for a disaster movie to be trashing New York . Did that concern you at all, setting it in New York City?

Roland Emmerich: I thought about it very carefully. I was actually working on the screenplay, and was about half way finished, just before 9/11. When it happened I stopped writing, for nearly five months. I was shocked just like everyone. Slowly I began writing. Friends told me I should keep writing because my film is about a natural disaster. I’m a sensitive person and I didn’t want to destroy New York, but they pointed out that I wasn’t destroying it. As we discussed the script throughout the making of the movie there were a few voices that suggested why not make it Chicago. But you know that nobody in the world knows Chicago. The other things I realized is that while disasters are a bad thing, they also have their good side it that they unify people. I think that Sep. 11^th was a crucial point in American history. The whole world was behind America, even if it was for a very short time. It was unifying as it brought the entire world together. Our movie is about people who rise to the occasion and save each other. The scientist in our film tells his colleague, “Save as many as you can.” It has a good feeling about it. When it came to certain images, like when the water hits the Statue of Liberty it doesn’t topple over. With that much water it should have been flattened. We didn’t because it was important for us to have the Statue of Liberty standing.

World Of Fandom: Call it bad luck or destiny, have you been feeling any “heat” because DAY AFTER TOMORROW is being released in an election year?

Roland Emmerich: “Heat” is the right word! (Laughs) It’s like some of the people they’ve been talking to on television that say, “What heat? There is no global warming!”

It’s strange when a “popcorn movie” becomes a political news item on the Today Show. I’ve been on several of these shows and its very interesting to watch. You see all these scientific experts turning up that people have warned me about. These are actually climatologists who are financed by the oil industry and call themselves scientists. They have a lot of money and power behind them and they get heard very loudly. You watch enough of these shows and you begin to realize that the media is as divided on the subject as is the country.

It’s also interesting coming from Europe, and having promoted the movie there, how they embrace the message.

World Of Fandom: I often watch the BBC News and Europeans have an entirely different worldview of American policy.

Roland Emmerich: I think Michael Moore won the Cannes Film Festival because nobody in the world wants to deal with George W. Bush anymore. Maybe they were trying to send a message to the American people.

Anyway, I wanted to make this movie as far back as four years ago. I didn’t even have the election in mind. Also, I’m not that political a person. I’m the type of person who becomes interested in a subject and wonders why.

I often wonder why electric cars and hybrids so ugly. Why? There must be a system behind it. There must be somebody at the car companies saying, “Lets make the ugly! We don’t really want to sell that many of them.” It’s the only reason. When the electric car in our movie pulled up Dennis (Quaid) said, “This is the ugliest ting I’ve ever seen!” I told him, “Look, I know you’re right but this is the only real electric car on the market today.” Why don’t they make an electric car that looks like a Mazda Miata or a PT Curser that’s a hybrid?

Joseph B Mauceri: Because the oil companies control the interest.

Roland Emmerich: Exactly, and tat should tell you something. That’s the same people who want to denounce our movie. I think it’s interesting that so many intelligent people can fall for that. Again, I’m not a politician and I’m just trying to ser behind things. You would think that environmental issues should be bipartisan. That’s the only thing that is great about the government lately because McCain and Lieberman are getting their energy bill through the congress. It’s about time.

Look, my first idea was to make an entertaining movie. It would be even better to make a summer movie that was also thought provoking.

World Of Fandom: And that’s good science fiction!

Roland Emmerich: Exactly!

World Of Fandom: All of your films have this epic quality that requires an ensemble cast, and each of those have been different. What was it about these actors that made them right for this story?

Roland Emmerich: I believe that 80% of your directing job is casting the right cast. When you have the wrong cast you just pack it in and go home. I’m really proud of this cast because it is so balanced. It’s the right mix of people and they all fit very well together. So I wouldn’t like to single out anyone actor. I got to work with a really great cast.

When I begin to write I start to think about who the right person for the part might be. I actually send early feelers out through my agent to find out if certain actors are available. In this movie every actor I wanted I got. Normally it’s not like that, but in “Godzilla” it was like that too.

World Of Fandom: Do you feel that because you films are so successful it helps you to attract the actors you are interested in working with?

Roland Emmerich: It doesn’t hurt! After “Stargate” a lot of actors began to get interested in my work. Some times I have to take meetings with actors who just want to introduce themselves. I don’t like that too much because I don’t like to feel any pressure hat I now have to cast that person. However, that’s the good thing about success, and there are a lot of negative things as well. There is always this pressure of will this film live up to the success of “Independence Day?” I often wonder how Stephen Spielberg feels. Just look at his career. But you have to live with that. Each of my films is simply another piece of my career.

World Of Fandom: Speaking of “Independence Day,” there were some rumors about a possible sequel. Is there any truth to that?

Roland Emmerich: We always talk about “Stargate” as a trilogy, but it didn’t work out. Different people from those who have the theatrical rights own the video rights. That scenario will immediately kill off your chances of making a sequel.

“Independence Day” we felt we had the rights to do a sequel, but we didn’t have the right idea. Dean (Devlin) and I actually sat down and seriously talked about it. However, we both came to the conclusion that we didn’t want to make the sequel. I think there are people who would love to do a sequel to “Titanic.” There are simply certain types of movies, like “E.T.” or “Close Encounters,” where you need to see what it is you could tell. If it feels like the same thing why even try because it will probably not be anywhere near as good as the original. Films like “Indiana Jones” movies have a character at its center and audiences want to have a new adventure with that character. “Independence Day” what would you have them do? The aliens come again?

World Of Fandom: I understand that one of your next movies is about King Tut.

Roland Emmerich: It’s a movie about King Tutankhamen and his life, and he died very young. There will probably lots of visual effects to recreate that world. However, I’m kind of stuck with that project at the moment and it’s something I’ve been working on for about six years now.

World Of Fandom: Is there any project about ready to go?

Roland Emmerich: There are about three projects, but I don’t really want to name them anymore. Than I end up getting asked questions about them and I have to say things like, “Well the script really didn’t work out.”