What Mystery Will be Behind George Lucas' 'Red Tails'?

At least Lucas knows he shouldn't direct

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Wednesday, October 1st 2008 at 4:48 AM

Anthony Hemingway is far from a seasoned director, but a kid just out of film school is more likely to do a better job than George Lucas so it is a good thing he has handed off helming duties of his long gestating Tuskegee Airmen flick to another director. I now have to wonder, after Miracle at St. Anna, will this film actually get right to the point or will there have to be a fake mystery behind the whole thing to lure audiences into the theater? Hopefully not, because this flick really could be good.

The film is Red Tails, a WWII action adventure about the Tuskegee Airmen. It revolves around the young pilots who overcame institutional racism in the military to form the Tuskegee Airmen, the fliers who become the first African-American fighter pilots in U.S. military history. Their planes featured the red-painted tails that give the film its title.

One thing that worries me a bit about the project is its screenwriter, John Ridley. Ridley is best known for writing the Eddie Griffin comedy Undercover Brother and Oliver Stone's U Turn as well as writing a few episodes of Showtime's "Barbershop" spin-off with episodes called "Nigger Lovers," "Madonna is a Ho" and "Whose Pussy Is That?" He did contribute to the story on Three Kings, but he just seems like such an odd choice. Hopefully it will work out for the best.

Production on the film starts in March in Italy, Prague and Croatia. I expect we will hear some casting news soon and that will really give us an idea of what kind of film to look forward to.