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Lucas' Red Tails

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I thought I'd start a topic on this as finally there is a confirmed script and director. Slash film reports:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/10/01/anthony-hemingway-to-direct-george-lucas-red-tails/

Red Tails is one of those projects that I’ve never been interested in. George Lucas has been developing the film since 1989, and was originally going to direct the movie himself. He infamously put the project aside to helm the Star Wars prequels. It has now been officially announced that Anthony Hemingway (The Wire, CSI: NY, ER) has signed on to helm the project.

Scripted by John Ridley, the story follows the true events surrounding the first African Americans to become US military pilots in WWII. At first harassed on Racial grounds, the Tuskegee Airmen went on to become heavily in-demand, and were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. LucasFilm is financing the project for a reported $30-$35 million. Production will begin early next year in Prague, Italy, Croatia and England.

Okay, to recap: We have a film developed by George Lucas for the last 20 years, written by the guy who created Undercover Brother and directed by a television director? I’ll pass.

 

Oh and I'll add Variety's article because they mention McCallum as producing and a start date of March '09.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117993137.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Lucasfilm has tapped Anthony Hemingway to direct "Red Tails," the WWII action adventure about the Tuskegee Airmen based on a story by George Lucas.

Lucas will exec produce and finance the pic through his Lucasfilm production company. Lucas tapped scribe John Ridley to pen the script last year.

Rick McCallum and Charles Floyd Johnson are producing. Production starts in March in Italy, Prague and Croatia.

"Red Tails" 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.

Hemingway's helming credits include episodes of "CSI: NY," "Heroes" and "The Wire."

 

Better than the rumour a few months back that Lucas offered the directors seat to Samuel L Jackson.

I'm not too interested in this, but I thought some people might be since it's been a long time coming.

"Well here's a big bag of rock salt" - Patton Oswalt

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I'm amazed it's actually happening. Good for George. Good to see he's doing something different finally. If it works out, maybe he'll continue to move on to fun and different things and stop f'ing up Star Wars.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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A historical drama by George Lucas? Does he have any skill left in him to actually do that?

"Now all Lucas has to do is make a cgi version of himself.  It will be better than the original and fit his original vision." - skyjedi2005

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Well, now that he is not producing, writing, and directing, maybe it wont be so bad. Maybe...

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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Hmm, since you put it that way... is Lucas really doing anything besides fronting the cash and having the privilege to demand it gets done a certain way?

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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He came up with the story idea, but other than that, no not really. I could actually almost see LFL becoming a film studio making some pretty decent films, if they can shake off SW and Indy and move on. He has got the money, and at one point he had the right mindset, make good movies without studio meddeling. Of course, now he has become the meddeler. Be interesting to see how Red Tails goes, and if any of those guys ever want to work with George again. Reminds me of what a great game company LucasArts was, until they went 98.9% SW, and not even quality SW but rubbish. LucasArts once had a very good reputation as a game company, now when you hear it you automatically think, oh yeah, they are the ones who make all the SW games.

I'd like to see LFL become a film comany along the lines of LucasArts former self.

Just watched Empire of Dreams again for the first time since it first came out in 04. It is infuriating how you have all these great history guys in the history of modern film saying possitive things about George interspliced with clips of George saying, "Hell yeah, that's me alright! I am pretty f ing awesome." All those things they said about young Lucas was cool, and I always admired him for those things, but splicing old George's less than humble self into the mix every 15 seconds make it a puke fest to watch, but as soon as I was able to mentally block those things out, I started remembering how much potiential was there and how great I thought this man once was.

Before I have said that I would gladly have given up Empire and ROTJ to have lived in a reality where SW failed and George went on to be a serious director. I'd loved to see what great tales the maker of THX 1138 and American Grafitti could have shown us. I know I am just dreaming, but I'd actually really like to see the redemption of old George with an extreme turn around, where he will be remembered as the guy who was responsible for some truly amazing movies as opposed to the guy who Rebelled against the system and fought to make countless silly kids movies.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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Interesting subject, as I'm WW2 history & aviation buff.

But... did I see "George Lucas" written here...?

Hmm...

 

[5 years in the future]

 

Ahmed Best inside P-51 fighter cockpit:

- Wesa gonna die! Wesa in big poo-doo! Ouch time! Maxi big da FLAK is!

...

Samuel L. Jackson inside aircraft cockpit:

- There are mo**erfucking snakes on this plane!

 

 

Darn - maybe I should quit joking like that... remember when nobody believed me when I told you there will be aliens in Indiana Jones 4...?

I saw the original theatrical release of the Old Trilogy on the big screen and I'm proud of it...
How did I accomplish that (considering my age) is my secret...
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RRS-1980 said:

Samuel L. Jackson inside aircraft cockpit:

- There are mo**erfucking snakes on this plane!

 

Darn - maybe I should quit joking like that... remember when nobody believed me when I told you there will be aliens in Indiana Jones 4...?

 

LOL, I like how you only edited out the "th" in motherfucking.

 

As for Indy 4, yeah RSS, I remember when you made the post about aliens and I though you were high, better shut up now, I really don't want to see your predictions of this movie come true too.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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 (Edited)

Why is that?

I always thought it was well known that there was a script for Indy 4 called "Indiana Jones and The Saucer Men From Mars".  Real script, real title not fake.  George Lucas wrote the story and he paid some other dude to pen the screenplay which he showed to Steven And Harrison in 2003 i believe and they passed on it because of the rediculousness of the Alien THing and the magguffin being a crystal skull.

Fast forward a few years and we get the very same fucking thing Spielberg and Ford fought Lucas over, why they caved, i'm thinking dollar signs not for creative reasons.  There used to be a saying "Cash or Kudos" Lucas seduced Spielberg to the Dark Side of Cgi, and Speilbergs Love for That Transformers kid from even Stevens disney show ruined the movie.

I believe a documentary a very good one i've heard of but Never seen was Made on the Tuskugee Airmen.  George Lucas rewrites history and does not repect it He is the last man on earth who should be even near this movie.

Despite the Existance of the Gout, before that he pretty much wiped the oot from history and existance and butchered the oneg to make a videogame cartoon out of a classic trilogy.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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I too am really interested in WWII history, and would love for this to be something as well done and impactful as Saving Private Ryan, but I'm not holding my breath.  I'm definitely keeping tabs on it, but I'd be more optimistic if George wasn't involved.

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Yeah, that's the problem: GL curses a film just by his presence in the production. That's why Indy 4 sucked so hard.

But the trailer seemed good.

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It's so weird seeing the Lucasfilm logo on something so seemingly... un-Lucas.  Seems like it'll be good!

We need to all enjoy seeing this in theaters while we can, too, seeing as how in 30 years' time it'll be a shell of its former self. lol

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God help me, but this actually might be good. I want it to be good. I want George to be good again.

“It is only through interaction, through decision and choice, through confrontation, physical or mental, that the Force can grow within you.”
-Kreia, Jedi Master and Sith Lord

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see you auntie said:

This was directed by Anthony Hemingway in the same manner as Richard Marquand directed Jedi.

Unfortunately, that's true.  Here is an excerpt from an Entertainment Weekly article addressing that very issue.

Lucas, who is also producing and financing, needs reshoots and must do them himself. According to two sources close to the project, Hemingway was hoping to stay on for the redos, but was already committed to direct episodes of David Simon's New Orleans series Treme for HBO. (Lucas wasn't willing to wait.)

Lucasfilm confirms the directorial shift, which FirstShowing.net broke, but denies any conflict with Hemingway, saying Lucas and producer Rick McCallum will oversee the reshoot — with Hemingway's approval

With Hemingway's approval.  Sure.

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theprequelsrule said:

God help me, but this actually might be good. I want it to be good. I want George to be good again.

He was never that good to begin with. 

Sadly, this film will eventually be considered one of the worst films of 2012, if not this decade.

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Anchorhead said:



see you auntie said:

This was directed by Anthony Hemingway in the same manner as Richard Marquand directed Jedi.


Unfortunately, that's true.  Here is an excerpt from an Entertainment Weekly article addressing that very issue.


Lucas, who is also producing and financing, needs reshoots and must do them himself. According to two sources close to the project, Hemingway was hoping to stay on for the redos, but was already committed to direct episodes of David Simon's New Orleans series Treme for HBO. (Lucas wasn't willing to wait.)

Lucasfilm confirms the directorial shift, which FirstShowing.net broke, but denies any conflict with Hemingway, saying <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lucas and producer Rick McCallum will oversee the reshoot </span>— with Hemingway's approval


With Hemingway's approval.  Sure.
Call me cynical but it sounds like George isn't even waiting for the 1.0 release before he starts making alterations and revising his original vision for the film! *sigh*

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Don't worry - no matter how much he's gonna meddle with WWII history, he's not going to outdo Tarantino. So it's cool :)

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Anchorhead said:

see you auntie said:

This was directed by Anthony Hemingway in the same manner as Richard Marquand directed Jedi.

Unfortunately, that's true.  Here is an excerpt from an Entertainment Weekly article addressing that very issue.

Lucas, who is also producing and financing, needs reshoots and must do them himself. According to two sources close to the project, Hemingway was hoping to stay on for the redos, but was already committed to direct episodes of David Simon's New Orleans series Treme for HBO. (Lucas wasn't willing to wait.)

Lucasfilm confirms the directorial shift, which FirstShowing.net broke, but denies any conflict with Hemingway, saying Lucas and producer Rick McCallum will oversee the reshoot — with Hemingway's approval

With Hemingway's approval.  Sure.

If they're scheduled reshoots can't you just schedule them to a time when the director is not shooting Treme?

Here's a quote from Daniela Ruah who's an actress in the film movie:

http://collider.com/daniela-ruah-interview-ncis-los-angeles/52411/

Daniela: That was a wonderful experience, mainly because it was my first big film. Just to be able to work on something that came out of George Lucas’ mind was quite an honor. Initially, it was directed by Anthony Hemingway, and then George Lucas wanted to change some of the tone of it and decided to direct it himself, so we had a few re-shoots and I got to work specifically with George Lucas on those re-shoots. That was really special, to see how he works and to see what the process is. They only had me for a weekend because I was shooting the show, so everything had to be on the ball, at all times.

 

"Well here's a big bag of rock salt" - Patton Oswalt

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LeeThorogood said:

 

Anchorhead said:


Lucas, who is also producing and financing, needs reshoots and must do them himself. According to two sources close to the project, Hemingway was hoping to stay on for the redos, but was already committed to direct episodes of David Simon's New Orleans series Treme for HBO. (Lucas wasn't willing to wait.)

Lucasfilm confirms the directorial shift, which FirstShowing.net broke, but denies any conflict with Hemingway, saying Lucas and producer Rick McCallum will oversee the reshoot — with Hemingway's approval


With Hemingway's approval.  Sure.
Call me cynical but it sounds like George isn't even waiting for the 1.0 release before he starts making alterations and revising his original vision for the film! *sigh*

 

Not sure where you're going with this. The majority of films have reshoots before they're done.

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Daniela Ruah said:

Just to be able to work on something that came out of George Lucas’ mind was quite an honor.


Gag.

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Can we save just a little bile and venom for January, when we can actually see the entire movie? ;)

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Where were you in '77?

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timdiggerm said:

rpvee said:

seemingly... un-Lucas

Just remember that his most famous films feature World War II dogfights in space. He's just moved the setting to the right time.

True, true.  Yet this seems to have much more emotional weight than Star Wars ever did.  Not to mention the rules of reality.