(Image source: Comedy Central)

BY JJ BAILEY

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

George Lucas is making the rounds, promoting his new movie, Red Tails, which he co-wrote and executive produced. And he should, he’s been trying to get it made for 23 years. In an interview on the Daily Show, he gives his take on why it’s taken so long. 

LUCAS: “I showed it to all of them and they said ‘nooooo.’ We don’t know how to market a movie like this. 

STEWART: Why?

LUCAS: It’s because it’s an all black movie. There’s no major white roles in it at all.” It’s one of the first all-black action movies ever made.”

He says it’s one of the first action movies with an all-black cast -- and now it’s coming to theatres. When the legendary producer and director started writing, he had 40 real Tuskeegee Airmen working with him on the script. Now, upon release, he’s lost all but seven. The Detroit Free Press talked to some of them about the film.

“I was glad they finally started to recognize what we did. ... More than just letting the world know that we were in existence, to act as role models for underprivileged youth. ... One of the things I try to tell them, because We were told that we would never fly for the United States, don’t ever let anybody tell you what you can’t do.”

The president of the Detroit chapter of Tuskeegee Airmen Inc. told the paper the film should get four or five Oscars at least-- and that idea may gain support from other filmmakers as well. The BBC notes Lucas is sharing an argument with some well-known company.

“Lucas's comments echo those of Spike Lee, who criticised the lack of black faces in Hollywood war movies in 2008. Speaking about Clint Eastwood's movies Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima, Lee said: ‘He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black soldier in both of those films’”

But the Hollywood Reporter points out, Lucas is going to need a lot of support in the box office on this one. Reportedly, he has a considerable amount of his own money invested in the film. They say the Star Wars creator...

“...put $58 million of his own money into the movie and is spending $35 million more for its distribution. It will be released by Lucasfilm Ltd. on Jan. 20, with Twentieth Century Fox distributing it.”

Lucas has said if the films go well, he hopes to expand the story in both a prequel and a sequel.