June
18
Lucas is Not Returning to Directing with Red Tails
[Posted by David Cohen]
Yesterday's AP story on George Lucas's Red Tails, which is in pre-production, focused on the Tuskegee Airmen who will be the subject of the film, revealing that John Ridley is writing the script. There's been some speculation that Lucas might be returning to the director's chair.
According to Lucasfilm, Lucas is NOT directing Red Tails. As originally reported by Variety, he is an executive producer, with Rick McCallum and Charles Floyd Johnson producing. (Variety first mentioned the project back in 2006.) Ridley is writing. No other attachments yet, they say.
They have not started talking to distributors and aren't yet talking about their plans for financing. Lucas could pay for the whole thing out of his own pocket and barely miss it, but that doesn't mean he will.
Like so many other projects, they will push production back if there is a SAG strike.
And for those who are asking if a story about World War II airmen facing racism might appeal to a certain Lucas pal named Spielberg, known to have made movies that touch on African-American history and the Second World War now and then, be assured, we checked with Lucasfilm and he's never been involved with the project.
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Oops. Thanks for the correction. Now I must go an update my blog :o)
Posted by: THE OBENSON REPORT | June 19, 2008 at 06:49 AM
I'm fascinated by this film because it's one of those backpocket films that Lucas has mentioned for years - like Radioland murders a long, long time ago. And despite the amount of time it took for that to hit the screen, it was seen as a bomb. So will all the years this has spent with Lucas mean a better project? Or should he have self-financed it years ago when he first mentioned it (and he likely would have directed it back then). We'll have to wait and see - I just hope they use practical effects and not CG.
Posted by: Perry Lane | June 19, 2008 at 08:35 AM