This is a movie I have been eagerly waiting to see. Mostly because it is a full length feature film coming out of Lucasfilm that has nothing to do with Star Wars. The story comes from George Lucas but he is not directing the film. Anthony Hemingway is taking the reins on this one. He has directed episodes from two of the greatest TV Shows ever ‘Battlestar Gallacta’ and ‘The Wire’. The script was written by John Ridley who also wrote ‘Three Kings’. Casting has been completed and principal photography will begin in Europe soon.

Regarding the film ‘Red Tails’ Lucas says:

“I’ve been wanting to do Red Tails for 20 years, and we’ve finally got the means to showcase the skill of the Tuskegee pilots. We’re working on techniques which will give us the first true look at the aerial dogfighting of the era. And our top-notch cast will really make this story special.”

OK Mr. Lucas you have my attention. One of my favorite shows on the History Channel is ‘Dogfights’. They do a great representation of what these pilots went through in battle and if Lucas wants to show me an even better and more real version then I am in! The director of the film McCallum says:

“I’m thrilled to have such a fantastic cast of actors and such a talented director to work with. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen represents a milestone in American history, and we’re all proud to be paying tribute to their heroic efforts. That cultural significance is not lost on anyone in this great young cast.”

So here is the cast they brought together to tell the story.

Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Oscar nominee Terrence Howard (Crash), Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (”Breaking Bad”), Nate Parker (The Secret Life of Bees), David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland), Tristan Wilds (”The Wire”), Cliff Smith aka Method Man (”The Wire”), Kevin Phillips (Pride), Rick Otto (”The Wire”), Lee Tergesen (Monster), Andre Royo (”Heroes”), Grammy award winner Ne-Yo (Stomp the Yard), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), Marcus T. Paulk (Take the Lead), Leslie Odom Jr. (”Grey’s Anatomy”), Michael B. Jordan (”The Wire”), Grammy nominated singer Jazmine Sullivan, Edwina Finley (”Law and Order”), Daniela Ruah (Midnight Passion) and Stacie Davis (”The Wire”).

I am 100% in. Cuba Gooding Jr. is making a comeback with this one. And a ton of the Wire Cast is involved so you know the acting is going to be good. This movie has the potential to be an incredible masterpiece! I couldn’t be more excited for the finished product from this production.

Here is the official Synopsis on the film:

1944. World War II rages and the fate of the free world hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile the black pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program are courageously waging two wars at once – one against enemies overseas, and the other against discrimination within the military and back home. Racial prejudices have long held ace airman Martin “Easy” Julian (Nate Parker) and his black pilots back at base – leaving them with little to do but further hone their flying skills – while their white counterparts are shipped out to combat after a mere three months of training. Mistakenly deemed inferior and assigned only second-rate planes and missions, the pilots of Tuskegee have mastered the skies with ease but have not been granted the opportunity to truly spread their wings.

Until now.

As the war in Europe continues to take its dire toll on Allied forces, Pentagon brass has no recourse but to reconsider these under-utilized pilots for combat duty. Just as the young Tuskegee men are on the brink of being shut down and shipped back home, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) awards them the ultimate chance to prove their mettle high above. Undaunted by the prospect of providing safe escort to bombers in broad daylight – a mission so dangerous that the RAF has refused it and the white fighter groups have sustained substantial losses – Easy’s pilots at last join the fiery aerial fray. Against all the odds, with something to prove and everything to lose, these intrepid young airmen take to the skies in a heroic endeavor to combat the enemy – and the discrimination that has kept them down for so long.