Red Tails, a World War II film George Lucas has had in the works since 1989, is finally getting the go-ahead. It's the story of the Tuskegee airmen — a familiar one to any Cuba Gooding Jr. superfans — the all-black regiment who overcame institutional racism to become some of the war's finest troops. There are some promising indications here — the screenplay was written by Three Kings scribe John Ridley and will be directed by The Wire's Anthony Hemingway, plus the project does originate from what is technically vintage Lucas. But we like to think of it as a lost key to a wondrous alternative history of cinema — if Lucas had gotten Red Tails off the ground back in 1989 like he intended, perhaps he'd never have made another Star Wars trilogy or a fourth Indiana Jones. And any Lucas news that doesn't have him meddling with the legacy of those two franchises is good news.

Director Picked to Pilot Lucasfilm's 'Red Tails' [Reuters]