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Filmmaker George Lucas is primarily known for making blockbuster movies likeStar WarsandIndiana Jones. However, he has also produced several projects outside the two main franchises. One of these projects was the 2012 war drama filmRed Tails, based on the experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.
The film was produced and financed by Lucas independently, with the filmmaker drawing inspiration from John Wayne’s war movies. However, despite Lucas’ passion for the project, it failed to impress critics and emerged as a box-office disappointment. Here is what Lucas had to say about the inspiration behindRed Tailsand why it failed commercially.
George Lucas Revealed John Wayne Movies That InspiredRed Tails
George Lucasdirected 1977’sStar Wars, with the filmmaker taking inspiration from the Vietnam War. After completing work on the original trilogy, Lucas conceived the concept for a war drama film based on the experiences of Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. The project eventually materialized asRed Tails, with Lucas serving as an executive producer.
During an interview withThe New York Times, Lucas spoke about some of the inspiration behind the movie. The filmmaker revealed that World War II films such asFlying Leathernecks, starring John Wayne served as a template while he was conceiving the screenplay forRed Tails.
We made movies like this during the war, and everybody just loved them he said. I said there’s no reason why that idealism, that kind of naïveté, can’t still exist.
Lucas made the above statement, highlighting howthe old war movies starring Wayne, which were highly patriotic and idealistic served as a driving force for his concept.
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Furthermore, the director stated that he wanted to capture the essence of those movies but on his own terms. As a result, Lucas insisted on focusing on the African-American airmen during the Second World War as he felt the community deserved to have their history Hollywood-ized.
George Lucas Dropped the Ball WithRed TailsIn One Crucial Way
From Lucas’ words, it is evident that the filmmaker aimed to make a throwback film when tacklingRed Tails. The film wasturned downby most major studios, leading to Lucas financing it with his own money and even bearing the distribution costs.
However, the film starringTerrence Howardand Cuba Gooding Jr. emerged as a major box office failure.Red Tailswas made on a budget of $58 million, the film managed togrossonly $50.4 million at the box office. As a result, the film was an embarrassing failure for Lucas, especially since he championed the project.
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During the same interview, Lucas admitted that Black teenagers were the target audience for his movie. However, the filmmaker made a conscious decision to avoid the hip elements that drive teenagers to the theaters, including violence and bloodshed. As a result, Lucas likely dropped the ball by alienating the film’s target audience, which might be why it flopped.
Red Tailsis streaming on Disney+.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1774
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
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