Summary
Masters of the Air is the highly anticipated World War II miniseries from the creators of Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
The series will center on the airmen belonging to the 100th Bombardment Group, a valorous and heartbreaking division of the U.S. Army Airforce based in Europe.
Scheduled for an exclusive release on January 26, 2024, on Apple TV+, the cast features Austin Butler, Callum Turner, and Barry Keoghan.
Masters of the Air, the upcoming World War II miniseries, is the latest project from the acclaimed team behind the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Band of Brothers and its follow-up, The Pacific. Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman have joined forces with Apple TV+ to bring this highly anticipated third WWII epic to viewers in 2024. The series boasts a talented cast led by Austin Butler (Elvis), Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts), and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), generating immense excitement among audiences.
In contrast to the European focus of Band of Brothers, which centered on the Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division, and The Pacific's exploration of the 1st Marine Division's campaigns against the Japanese in the Pacific, Masters of the Air will delve into the experiences of the airmen from the 100th Bombardment Group. This group, a remarkable and distinguished wing of the United States Army Airforce, achieved great success by the end of World War II. However, their victories were accompanied by tremendous losses, making their story one of both triumph and tragedy.
Most Recent Masters Of The Air News
Masters Of The Air Is Confirmed
The latest update on the new miniseries by the talented team behind Band of Brothers came on October 5, 2020 (via Deadline). Apple officially confirmed that the long-awaited World War II miniseries by the Band of Brothers creators would premiere on January 26, 2023. Along with the announcement of the release date for Masters of the Air, the show also unveiled exclusive first-look images, providing a glimpse of the extensive ensemble cast in their respective roles as the airmen of the esteemed 100th Bombardment Group.Apple TV+ officially announced the greenlight for Masters of the Air on October 11, 2019, confirming the long-awaited project (via THR). HBO had originally intended to develop a miniseries as a spiritual successor to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, starting as early as 2013.
The creative team behind Band of Brothers, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman, confirmed their return for Masters of the Air. The miniseries on Apple TV+ is based on Donald L. Miller's book, Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought The War Against Nazi Germany, following previous attempts with HBO. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga confirmed filming for Masters of the Air started in 2021 and was completed by April 2022, as mentioned on his Instagram.
Masters Of The Air Release Date
Masters Of The Air Cast
Masters of the Air is scheduled to premiere on January 26, 2024. This highly anticipated miniseries, created by the talented team behind the popular Band of Brothers, will be exclusively available on Apple TV+. There are no current plans for wider distribution or traditional broadcasting. Mark your calendars for the exciting Friday debut on January 26, which will feature the first two episodes. Subsequent episodes will be released on a weekly basis leading up to the grand finale on March 15.
The cast of Masters of the Air is truly remarkable, brimming with familiar faces, as one would expect from a project led by the talented duo of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Band of Brothers boasted an impressive lineup including renowned actors like David Schwimmer from Friends and Damian Lewis from Homeland, as well as early standout performances by Tom Hardy, known for Venom, and Michael Fassbender, recognized for his role in Inglourious Basterds.
Austin Butler, who previously worked alongside Tom Hanks in the film "Elvis," has been cast as Major Gale Clevan in Masters of the Air.
Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) as Lt. Curtis Biddick
Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education) as 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels
Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts) as Major John Egan
Anthony Boyle (Tetris) as Major Harry Crosby
Nate Mann (Evil) as Major Robert Rosenthal
Raff Law (Twist) as Sgt Ken Lemmons
However, the cast of Masters of the Air is incredibly expansive, boasting numerous cast members across its 9 episodes. Band of Brothers, on the other hand, had a reported cast of 200 speaking roles and more than 10,000 on-set extras. With advancements in CGI technology, it is possible that some of the background characters in Masters of the Air will be replaced digitally. Additionally, aerial battles in the upcoming Apple TV+ miniseries may require fewer extras compared to the large-scale skirmishes depicted in Band of Brothers. Nonetheless, it is evident that Masters of the Air will still feature a significantly large cast.
Masters Of The Air Story Details
The narrative of Masters of the Air centers around the 100th Bombardment Group, a division of the United States Army Air Force deployed in Europe during World War II. Historian Donald L. Miller expertly recounts the group's harrowing experiences and immense sacrifices in his book Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought The War Against Nazi Germany. The esteemed cast members of Masters of the Air have the honorable task of portraying the real airmen of the 100th. Similar to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, utmost care will be taken to depict the stories of the 100th's airmen with utmost reverence and historical accuracy.
The official plot synopsis for Masters of the Air is as follows:
Masters of the Air tracks the 100th Bomb Group, famously known as the "Bloody Hundredth," as they undertake dangerous bombing missions over Nazi Germany. Confronting freezing conditions, oxygen shortages, and the terrifying reality of combat at 25,000 feet in the sky, the men endure significant psychological and emotional suffering in their role of dismantling Hitler's Third Reich atrocities. Some were captured or shot down, while others lost their lives or sustained injuries. A fortunate few managed to return home. However, regardless of their individual outcomes, all of them paid a heavy toll.
Details about the specific focus of Masters of the Air are not extensively known. During the war, the 100th Bombardment Group undertook numerous missions, though it remains uncertain which ones will be highlighted in the series. Timothy Orloff, the screenwriter for Band of Brothers, has written the scripts for this production.