Even the WWII Flop that George Lucas Supposedly Ghost-Directed Grossed Five Times As Much As Russell Crowe’s ‘Nuremberg’

Even the WWII Flop that George Lucas Supposedly Ghost-Directed Grossed Five Times As Much As Russell Crowe’s ‘Nuremberg’ Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring in NurembergImage via Sony Pictures Classics By  Rahul Malhotra Published 27 minutes ago Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema. 

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him). Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

After just under a week of release, the new World War II drama Nuremberg has still not passed the $10 million mark at the domestic box office. It will likely do so in the next couple of days, before entering its third weekend in theaters. On a positive note, Nuremberg registered a healthy second-weekend drop, signaling that its target audience — older folks — is responding to the film's story. Older audiences typically don't show up for films on opening weekend, which is why titles targeted at them tend to have longer legs. But Nuremberg's soft numbers so far have lowered the ceiling; even if it performs splendidly from here on out, there's only so much that it can do. For instance, the movie has grossed a fifth of what its fellow WWII drama, the mostly forgotten Red Tails, produced by Star Wars creator George Lucas and his banner of Lucasfilm, managed to earn in 2012.

Based on the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen, the only United States Air Force group comprising Black pilots during the second World War, the movie is remembered mostly for its behind-the-scenes drama. Not only has the film been hounded by speculation that Lucas ghost-directed it from the sidelines, it has also seen its legacy suffer because of unfortunate casting. Red Tails featured the trio of now-divisive actors Nate Parker, Terrence Howard, and Cuba Gooding Jr. in central roles, with Bryan Cranston and a young Michael B. Jordan playing supporting parts.

Lucas officially took over as director on the project during reshoots. Produced on a reported budget of around $60 million — Lucas reportedly put up most of the budget himself, as well as $35 million in distribution costs — Red Tails underperformed at the box office, grossing $50 million. Reviews were mixed as well; Red Tails now holds a 41% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, "Despite a worthy fact-based story and obvious good intentions, Red Tails suffers from one-dimensional characters, corny dialogue, and heaps of clichés." The Tuskegee Airmen were recently featured prominently in an episode of the Apple TV WWII series Masters of the Air, which is produced by Lucas' frequent collaborator Steven Spielberg.

'Nuremberg' Has Been Embraced by Audiences

Nuremberg, on the other hand, revolves around the trial of Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring, played in the movie by Russell Crowe. Directed by James Vanderbilt, Nuremberg also features the Oscar-winner Rami Malek, and has received mixed reviews. It's sitting at a 70% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the audience score is soaring at a near-perfect 96%. You can watch the movie in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

6 10

Nuremberg

Like Follow Followed History Drama Thriller Release Date November 7, 2025 Runtime 148 minutes Director James Vanderbilt Writers James Vanderbilt, Jack El-Hai Producers István Major, Richard Saperstein, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Paul Neinstein

Cast

See All

• Russell Crowe Hermann Göring
• Rami Malek Douglas Kelley

American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley arrives at the Nuremberg Trials, tasked with evaluating Nazi officials’ mental fitness. His process soon evolves into a sharp psychological duel with Hermann Göring.

Genres History, Drama, Thriller Powered by Expand Collapse

• Movie News
• Nuremberg
• George Lucas

Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Thread Sign in to your Collider account

We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.

Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.

Your comment has not been saved

Send confirmation email

This thread is open for discussion.

Be the first to post your thoughts.

• Terms
• Privacy
• Feedback

Recommended 3 hours ago

James Cameron Reveals His Massive Paycheck for ‘Terminator 2’

32 minutes ago

The 10 Most Intense Movie Musicals of All Time, Ranked

3 hours ago

James Cameron Reveals the Challenges of Casting Jamie Lee Curtis in 'True Lies'

8 hours ago

Knives Out Franchise Creator Rian Johnson Names This Thriller As His Favorite Christopher Nolan Movie

What To Watch

July 20, 2025 The 72 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Trending Now Aaron Taylor-Johnson Trades Vampires for Werewolves in First Set Video for His 'Nosferatu' Reunion Amazon’s New Remake of a 15-Year-Old Russell Crowe Classic Becomes a Must-Watch Hit This 'Parks and Rec' Episode Showed Us a Completely Different Side of Ron Swanson for the First Time