New Lucas Film on Famed Tuskegee Airmen

The black airmen whose lives will be the basis of a George Lucas movie know the film will highlight their record of successfully escorting thousands of U.S. bombers in World War II.They also feel it should tell of the trials they encountered stateside, like seeing German prisoners of war being treated better and afforded rights that were withheld from black American citizens.

Now that “Red Tails” is in preproduction, some of the airmen say they are excited their story is coming to the big screen but torn over how much it should devote to each of their two historic fights – against Adolf Hitler abroad and segregation at home.

Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Bryan Cranston have joined the cast of George Lucas‘ Red Tails, the WWII action-adventure about the Tuskegee Airmen.

The trio join a cast that includes Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Tristan Wilds, Method Man, Lee Tergesen, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Andre Royo and Jesse Williams.

Anthony Hemingway directs and Lucas is exec producing and financing through his Lucasfilm production company, with Rick McCallum and Charles Floyd Johnson producing.

John Ridley wrote the script, which revolves around the young pilots who overcame institutional racism in the military to form the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American fighter pilots in U.S. military history. Their planes featured the red-painted tails that give the film its title.