Tom Hanks' Sensational World War II Miniseries Takes Netflix by Storm

Summary

The Pacific, a miniseries produced by Tom Hanks, is now a global hit on Netflix, joining the ranks of popular contemporary shows like One Piece and Sex Education.

Despite its release in 2010, The Pacific has garnered an impressive 2.4 million viewers and accumulated 21.5 million hours of viewing time, solidifying its position as one of the most successful English-language shows on Netflix for the week. Notably, The Pacific stands alone on the list as the sole title not hailing from 2022 or 2023.

The Pacific, a miniseries produced by Tom Hanks in 2010, has become a popular global hit on Netflix. Serving as a companion series to the 2001 World War II miniseries Band of Brothers, it focuses on the U.S. Marine Corps' campaign in the Pacific Theater. The miniseries boasts a talented ensemble cast, including James Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joseph Mazzello, Rami Malek, Gary Sweet, William Sadler, and Jon Bernthal.

Netflix has recently released its ranking of the Top 10 highest performing English-language shows for the week of September 18 to September 24. Since its release on September 15, The Pacific, which was created with a significant budget, has secured the 9th spot on the list. It has garnered 2.4 million viewers and accumulated a total of 21.5 million hours of viewing time. Remarkably, it is the only title on the entire list that is not from 2022 or 2023. Despite being surrounded by recent Netflix successes like One Piece season 1 and Sex Education season 4, The Pacific stands out as a lasting attraction.

Why the Companion Sequel To The Pacific Won't Be On Netflix

This newfound success for Netflix is perfectly timed for the franchise, as a third miniseries titled Masters of the Air, focusing on the Air Force's 100th Bombardment Group during World War II, is currently in the works. While none of the original cast members from The Pacific will be returning, the new ensemble is brimming with star power, including actors such as Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan, and Callum Turner.

Although Band of Brothers and The Pacific are available for streaming on Netflix, Masters of the Air will not be premiering on the same platform. This is due to the complicated rights history of the franchise. While the original miniseries were created for HBO, it appears that the company is no longer interested in maintaining exclusive rights to the franchise.

Both Band of Brothers and The Pacific are available to stream on Netflix and HBO's Max. This is because of a co-licensing agreement that also includes other HBO shows like Insecure and Ballers. However, Masters of the Air will be released on a separate platform, Apple TV+. Despite this, the executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, along with other key individuals, are still involved in the production.