SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry have added their powerful voices to the growing support of Red Tails, the action-packed 2012 World War II movie from executive producer George Lucas that celebrates the heroics of the Tuskegee Airmen. At a private screening in Dallas this past weekend, Winfrey championed the film and its message before an audience that included cast-members Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Nate Parker, Tristan Wilds, Elijah Kelley, and Ne-Yo; Director Anthony Hemingway, Producer Rick McCallum, and six original Tuskegee Airmen.
"It's a film about human beings with enormous courage who believed in our country, who wanted to fight for our country, who are really our heroes," said Winfrey. "George Lucas decided to put his own money and team behind the making of this film because he so believed in the story, the history, and the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen."
"I wanted to help ring the bell as loud as I could, to get as many people as possible to see this movie," said Perry. "It's not just an important film about African Americans or African American history; it is important film about American history. I'm very excited about it."
"Because he cares about the education of young people, George Lucas wanted to do a film that would engage them, that would excite them, and have them embrace our history in a way that perhaps a documentary could not," said Winfrey. "This film was created with the idea of attracting young men to become more interested in their history and know who they are, and spread their word."
Red Tails stars Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire), Oscar nominee Terrence Howard (Crash), Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Nate Parker (The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters), David Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Tristan Wilds (“90210”), Grammy® Award winner Cliff Smith aka Method Man (“The Wire”), Kevin Phillips (Pride), Rick Otto (“The Wire”), Lee Tergesen (Monster), Andre Royo (“Heroes”), Grammy-Award winner Ne-Yo (Stomp the Yard), Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), Marcus T. Paulk (Take the Lead), Leslie Odom Jr. (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Michael B. Jordan (“Friday Night Lights,” Chronicle) and Daniela Ruah (“NCIS”).
The Lucasfilm Ltd. production of RED TAILS is produced by Rick McCallum and Charles Floyd Johnson, written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder, Executive Produced by George Lucas and directed by Anthony Hemingway (“Treme,” “The Wire,” )
Red Tails is distributed by 20th Century Fox and arrives in movie theaters on January 20, 2012. For more information, visit www.redtails2012.com. Follow us at: facebook.com/RedTails and twitter.com/RedTailsMovie.
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