George Lucas: Hollywood Didn't Want To Fund 'Red Tails' Because Of Its Black Cast (VIDEO)

In an appearance on The Daily Show last night, George Lucas said that he had trouble getting funding for his new movie, "Red Tails," because of its black cast.

"This has been held up for release since 1942 since it was shot, I've been trying to get released ever since," Lucas quipped to Jon Stewart. "It's because it's an all-black movie. There's no major white roles in it at all...I showed it to all of them and they said no. We don't know how to market a movie like this."

"Red Tails," which stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Terrence Howard, is based on the Tuskegee Airmen, the group of pioneering black pilots who fought in the United States' segregated armed forces during World War II. The movie is directed by Anthony Hemingway, the rare black director getting a chance to direct a big-budget feature.

Last week, Lucas told USA Today that he was worried that if Red Tails was a failure, it could have negative repercussions for black filmmakers. "I realize that by accident I've now put the black film community at risk [with Red Tails, whose $58 million budget far exceeds typical all-black productions]," he said. "I'm saying, if this doesn't work, there's a good chance you'll stay where you are for quite a while. It'll be harder for you guys to break out of that [lower-budget] mold. But if I can break through with this movie, then hopefully there will be someone else out there saying let's make a prequel and sequel, and soon you have more Tyler Perrys out there."

WATCH:

Comments

[pepper1311]

04:52 PM on 02/18/2012

Bad movies do not get money. How much has it made Mr. Lucas ?

[Erulisse]

03:26 PM on 02/18/2012

LOVE the story, the move and Mr. Lucas. However, he is unfairly forwarding an assumption that only white people inhabit Hollywood when there are so many quietly influential and moneyed Black Americans who can be found in the professions, academia, business, sports, as well as the arts.

What is more telling is that, apparently, no African-American individuals or groups wanted to help fund this project. Yet, cash was pulled together for The Image Awards last night. So, what Image do we really want to portray???

With these facts, maybe 'the making of Red Tail' wasn't racist at all. People like Spike Lee could do projects like this. If they truly wanted.

[Superabound]

12:47 AM on 02/03/2012

"This has been held up for release since 1942 since it was shot"

This has to be a typo right? I highly doubt this movie was shot in 1942, two years before George Lucas was born.

[Anoushah Alie]

06:34 AM on 01/25/2012

don't tell me; they're not "black" friendly! really? George needs to watch their award shows, and he'll know THE TRUTH!

[Merlin1935]

02:49 AM on 01/25/2012

Fact of the matter is, there are lots and lots of rich black people that could've funded the movie. But where are they? No, they're not willing to take risks with their own money even for an important project such as this. It is one of the reasons we continue to lag behind. Okay, now the movie has been made, but the report is that black people are not filling the theaters. Although my local theater was pretty filled up.

[jrx238]

10:09 PM on 01/23/2012

I think George Lucas has officially joined the likes of Bill Clinton, Robin Thicke, Anderson Cooper, John Mayer, James Carville, Amy Winehouse, Jimmy Carter, and Adele on the list "White people that Black people really like." He will likely be invited to all BET and NAACP award events from now on and I'm sure his Black pass is in transit if he hasn't received it already...

[Shay G]

08:16 PM on 01/24/2012

Support!! Support!! Be Bold!!

[Aron Ranen]

03:08 PM on 01/23/2012

Black Films that look forward..like my documentary BLACK HAIR..which examines the loss of a giant economic engine in the African American Community..and what folks are doing to get this 9 Billion Dollar industry back..check it at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p96aaTSdrAE.

[jml1018]

12:13 PM on 01/23/2012

talk about Racist Funding. with enough common sense George Lucas should sue whoever refused to fund the film due to Racial discrimination

[Jamie Hankins]

10:22 AM on 01/23/2012

All I know is if you're black TODAY in America, there's no reason you can't be President of the United States... In fact, if President Obama was a blonde hair, blue eyed white guy, we'd have had our first female president in 2008.

[1936benz]

09:08 AM on 01/23/2012

All of this blame-tossing about who is more racist is interesting....EVERYONE IS RACIST to some extent - it is a natural instinct that develops as soon as we are mature enough to reason. How they act on their racism determines how they affect themselves and society.

[Jamie Hankins]

10:08 AM on 01/23/2012

Defense mechanism.

[Whatdoyou thinkof this]

11:49 AM on 01/23/2012

Everyone has preferences as to who and what they like and don't like. Are vegetarians racist against meat ? If you prefer a pepperoni pizza vs a mushroom and onion pizza, are you prejudiced against vegetables ? what if you come right out and say, bacon is bad for you - stay away from bacon. Does this mean you are baconaphobe ?

It's easy to put labels onto something and then try to force people to conform into one way of thinking by calling them names and making it legal to take away someone's freedom of speech by creating protected classes.

So what if someone doesn't like me because of the way I look, and my ethnic background.

[Rosebudd1]

04:51 PM on 01/22/2012

Yes, of course, another conspiracy. This is nonsense. Akeelah and the bee, the black debate team, the black swim team, the black students who overcome, the black dance movies: stomp the yard et al. There are a hundred of these movies that have come out over the past decade and they are largely supported by non-black audiences. Blacks represent about 13% of the US Population, yet they are featured in >50% of the commercials on TV. And, in all of these commercials, they are married professionals, home-owners and responsible parents. Stop trying to inject race and racism where it doesn't need to be. Almost everyone under 40, including myself, grew up with there favorite actors, comedians, athletes, musicians being black.

[MrsSMH]

01:43 AM on 01/23/2012

Greater than 50% of commercials feature blacks? Wow, I didn't know that. And let's see, many of the commercials that DO portray Black people do so in a stereotypical way! *Sigh* I don't know why I even try, but I really wish people would see that racism still exists in America! No, it's not a 'catch-all' excuse for every woe that befalls Black people in America, but the playing field is still NOT equal. But, alas, many people just WILL NOT face that fact. Like Dr. Phil always says 'You can't change what you don't acknowledge!' I think for some Americans, it messes with their 'sensibilities' and their sense of patriotism, or something, to acknowledge it and they want to act like we have overcome. These are the ones that point to the African-American success stories and say 'See, they did it. So, there is no excuse!' If only it were that simple!

America is a great country in many ways and there are many opportunities available here. However, there are still those who may earnestly and diligently seek those opportunities and be denied for things (like race, sex, class, etc.) that they cannot control! It's horrible and it shouldn't be...but it's REAL. Denying its existence won't make it go away! And it won't help make our country even greater!

[Jamie Hankins]

10:17 AM on 01/23/2012

@MrsSMH - You're right. Definitely not equal. They are absolutely THE most over represented group in the history of the world, in everything from politics to Hollywood. How often do you see Asians in TV commercials? Arabs? When ever you see a successful Asian you know they most likely did it on their own merit. With blacks and even Hispanics (I know it's not a race) the playing field is so tilted in their favor you have to wonder if they've actually accomplished anything, or was it just political strong-arming that got them that city job.

@Rosebudd1 - Thirteen percent of the population? You'd never know by looking around you... I think someone is fudging the numbers.

[whizzleme]

04:18 PM on 01/22/2012

What a Man...courage, ethics, wisdom and knowledge! All I can say is I just love you George! Best for Red!

[DominantDeFacto]

03:18 PM on 01/22/2012

I love this article and his honesty! Sooo true and so needed to be sad! Wonderful job to Mr Lucas and the cast and crew!

[Nichole Babcock]

11:37 AM on 01/22/2012

I think American History should be more accurate and complete,period.But when the people writing history do so they slant it towards themselves

[Jamie Hankins]

10:19 AM on 01/23/2012

Hence why they're having a problem with this film.

[Nichole Babcock]

11:32 AM on 01/22/2012

I hear Tyler Perry and Oprah put up money on the film too but Lucas but up 100 million dollars