According to Deadline, Red Tails is doing great business, though the article makes sure to include caveats about why that will possibly not be the case for too much longer (it’s strongly implied that because it appeals primarily to African-American audiences that it will not be able to maintain box office strength).

This is an interesting perspective because the last time I checked, Tyler Perry has been making films that–unlike “Red Tails”–that cater almost exclusively to the African-American community, yet he has somehow managed to make money hand over fist (despite what one may feel about his films).

Now keep in mind that Tyler Perry’s “Medea’s Big Happy Family” earned $54 million last year; and while Box Office Mojo does not list its production budget, I would be willing to bet money that Perry bought the film in for under $20 million.

Spike Lee, a director that has traditionally made films that focus on aspects of the African-American experience, also has a string of profitable films, with “A Miracle At St. Anna” being the only film that he’s directed that has not made a profit.

“Red Tails” differs from all of Perry’s films, as well as Spike Lee’s, in that it has a significantly larger budget (though Lee’s “Inside Man” came close at $45 million).  It cost $58 million to produce–which isn’t huge by today’s standards–though what else it has is George Lucas, who not only bankrolled the film, but used his clout to put it into theaters with little–if any–monetary support from the big studios.

And as little as I think about how he is “updating” the films that make up his Star Wars saga, he isn’t a person that I would bet against when it comes to reading what the public wants to see on the big screen.

And as a bonus, if “Red Tails” inspires a few more people to look into the lives and exploits of the remarkable men known as the Tuskegee Airmen, Lucas’s film would have done its job if it didn’t make another cent.