In 1996, 'Independence Day' revitalized the 'disaster' movie genre. Directed by Roland Emmerich, it grossed $817 million. The film's marketing was legendary, featuring a Super Bowl ad that showed the White House being destroyed by an alien beam—a shot that became an instant cultural icon. To achieve the destruction of major cities, the production used a record number of miniature models combined with digital effects. Its success proved that global audiences had a massive appetite for 'world-ending' spectacles, leading to a decade of disaster-themed blockbusters like 'Deep Impact,' 'Armageddon,' and 'The Day After Tomorrow.'