At last – at long, long last – George Lucas has found a director for his pet project, the WWII flick, Red Tails.
And that director is… Anthony Hemingway.
We’ve known for some while that Lucas wouldn’t be directing the movie, which tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, who became the first African-American fighter pilots in military history, even though he’s been developing it since 1989.
But his choice of director comes as something of a surprise. Hemingway is an accomplished TV director – he’s helmed episodes of ER, Heroes and The Wire – but Red Tails (so named after the red-painted tails of the Tuskegee aircraft) will be his first movie.
Of course, there will be those who cynically suggest that Lucas has hired a first-timer who can be easily controlled. But the Star Wars guru has a track record of making leftfield choices of director – Richard Marquand, anyone? – and also of encouraging young talent. We’re pretty sure that he wouldn’t entrust a project this dear to his heart to just anyone.
"Anthony came to it with such a fresh eye, such a degree of enthusiasm, such a commitment, that it helped illuminate a lot of areas of the story that we would like to take advantage of," said Lucas’ long-time producer, Rick McCallum, who will share duties on this movie with Charles Floyd Johnson. Lucas himself, if you’re wondering, will executive produce.
Now that Hemingway is on board, the movie’s writer, John Ridley, will take another pass at the script. The plan is to start shooting in March of next year, in Prague, Italy, Croatia and England. The budget is around $35 million.
Casting for the film has begun, with Alexa L. Fogel – who cast The Wire – overseeing the hiring of the principal group of twentysomething African-Americans who made up a squadron that not only had to fight German enemies, but racism within their own army.
“This is an incredible moment in a tiny period of history,” added McCallum, “of a group of extraordinary college-educated kids, all 21-22 years old, who all they cared about was serving their country.”