Independence Day began in 1994, when Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were in Europe promoting Stargate and a reporter asked Emmerich why he made science fiction if he did not believe in aliens. He answered that he was fascinated by the idea of waking up to find 15-mile-wide spaceships hovering over the world's largest cities, then turned to Devlin and said that might be their next film. Devlin was bothered that in most alien invasion films the aliens arrive and nothing much happens, so they added a large-scale attack. The film came out in 1996 and was a huge hit.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.