The True Story Behind ‘Masters of the Air'
Austin Butler in 'Masters of the Air.'
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have a long history of collaborating on sweeping, critically acclaimed war dramas on both the big and small screen. In 2001, when “prestige TV” was still in its early days, they parlayed the success of their Oscar-winning movie Saving Private Ryan into the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, which followed a company of U.S. soldiers before, during and after their brutal experiences in World War II. More than two decades on, Spielberg and Hanks have reunited with executive producer Gary Goetzman on Masters of the Air, which is described as a spiritual follow-up both to Band of Brothers and its companion series, The Pacific. Here’s everything to know about Masters of the Air, including release date, plot, cast and more.
Related: 50 Best War Movies of All Time
What is Masters of the Air About?
Masters of the Air tells the story of the young men who served in the 100th Bomb Group within the U.S. Eighth Air Force (aka the “Bloody Hundredth”), during World War II, and how they played an integral role in defeating Hitler despite the extraordinarily challenging conditions they faced. These “bomber boys” were tasked with doing something that had never been done before—fighting a war at 25,000 feet, where freezing temperatures and sparse oxygen made every moment incredibly dangerous. Per Apple TV, the series will focus on “the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich” as well as the physical peril. Some of the airmen were shot down, captured and held in prison camps, while others were wounded and killed.
The first three episodes of Masters of the Air are directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who’s known for directing the first season of True Detective, the war drama Beasts of No Nation and the most recent James Bond movie, No Time To Die. The story was adapted for TV by John Orloff, who was part of the writing staff on Band of Brothers.
Is Masters of the Air based on a book?
Masters of the Air is based on the non-fiction 2007 book of the same name by historian Donald L. Miller. That book, fully titled Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, is described by publisher Simon & Schuster as “an authoritative, deeply moving account of the world’s first and only bomber war.” Miller, a World War II expert, tells the story of the Eighth Air Force through interviews, oral histories, and material from American, British and German archives.
Is Masters of the Air based on a true story?
Yes. Masters of the Air is based on the true story of the Eighth Air Force, and each major character is based on a real life member of the 100th Bombardment group.
“Masters of the Air is a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force, who, through their courage and brotherhood, helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II,” executive producer Gary Goetzman said when the show was announced. “Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this ‘singular event in the history of warfare.’”
What is the Masters of the Air release date?
Masters of the Air will debut on Jan. 26, 2024, with a feature length double episode premiere on Apple TV. New episodes will then air weekly, with the series finale slated for March 15, 2024.
Who is cast in Masters of the Air?
Austin Butler as Major Gale Cleven
Butler, who shot to prominence last year for his Oscar-nominated turn in Elvis (in which Hanks also appeared) leads the cast as Major Gale Cleven.
Butler has revealed that Hanks personally brought the role to him while they were working together on Elvis. “You have immersed yourself so deeply in Elvis that, for your mental health, it would be wise to go straight into something else,'” Butler recounted Hanks saying to him at the time, during an interview with The Times of London. “If you just jump off the train, you might have emotional whiplash… and, you know, I’ve got this thing I’m producing.'”
Callum Turner as Major John Egan
AppleTV+
Turner is best known for playing Theseus Scamander in the second and third installments of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy. Here, he plays Major John Egan, who shared a close bond with Cleven.
Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby
AppleTV+
Boyle is a stage and screen actor who was Tony-nominated for his role as Scorpius Malfoy in the initial run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He plays Major Harry Crosby, the lead navigator for the 100th Bomb Group.
Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick
AppleTV+
Keoghan was nominated for an Oscar this year for his supporting role in The Banshees of Inisherin, and has also appeared in the HBO series Chernobyl, The Green Knight and Marvel’s Eternals.
Ncuti Gatwa as Second Lieutenant Robert Daniels
Gatwa recently wrapped up his breakout run as Eric Effiong on Netflix’s Sex Education, and will soon make his debut as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who.
Related: Where All the Characters Leave Off at the End of 'Sex Education'
Rafferty Law as Sgt. Ken Lemmons
AppleTV+
Law, who is the son of Jude Law, plays Sgt. Ken Lemmons, the flight chief of the 100th.
Is Tom Hanks in Masters of the Air?
As far as we know, Tom Hanks won’t appear in the series. However, he is executive producing the series alongside Spielberg and Gary Goetzman, just like on Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Hanks was part of the cast of Band of Brothers, and he narrated portions of The Pacific, so there’s certainly a chance he’ll show up on screen in some capacity.
Related: Best Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked
How many episodes are in Masters of the Air?
The series will be nine episodes long, with the first two episodes premiering together as a feature length event.
How to watch Masters of the Air
Masters of the Air is an Apple original, so it will be available exclusively on Apple TV+.
Is there a Masters of the Air trailer?
Apple hasn’t yet released a trailer for Masters of the Air, but watch this space.
