The upcoming Apple TV+ miniseries "Masters of the Air" comes from producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, the same trio who brought us "Band of Brothers" (2001) and "The Pacific" (2010). This time around, Hollywood's biggest World War II history buffs chronicle the theater of war at 25,000 feet.
Premiering January 26, 2024 on Apple TV+, "Masters of the Air" follows the famous "Bloody 100th" airmen who conducted perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany. Scripted by "Band of Brothers" scribe John Orloff and "Justified" creator Graham Yost, the nine-episode miniseries is fronted by Oscar nominees Austin Butler ("Elvis") and Barry Keoghan ("The Banshees of Inisherin"), who play real-life bomber boys of the Bloody 100th who helped liberate Europe and survived capture by the Nazis.
"Masters of the Air" reportedly cost Apple Studios around $250 million to produce, and you can see the budget in the latest gripping, high-flying trailer. The series is based on books that feature firsthand accounts of America's bomber boys. It serves as 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," Goetzman said in a press release.
Here's everything we know about "Masters of the Air," from the heroic true story on which its based to the cast and premiere schedule.
What Is 'Masters of the Air' About?
'Masters of the Air' Episode 1. (Apple TV+)
Like both its companion series—and, indeed, like Hanks and Spielberg's first WWII team-up "Saving Private Ryan"—"Masters of the Air" is adapted from books that feature firsthand accounts of the war from the men who lived it.
One source is WWII historian Donald L. Miller's 2006 bestseller "Masters of the Air," which chronicles America's 8th Air Force and the bomber boys who carried out air raids on Nazi Germany. WWII airmen had the highest mortality rate of any group — higher even than the infantrymen on the ground. The series centers on one real-life bomb squad who sustained such heavy casualties that they were nicknamed the "Bloody 100th."
"Masters of the Air" also draws from 1993's "A Wing and a Prayer," an autobiographical work by Harry Crosby, one of the airmen of the Bloody 100th. Actor Anthony Boyle ("Tetris") portrays Crosby in the series.
What Happened in the Two Companion Series to 'Masters of the Air'?
Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston in 2001's 'Band of Brothers.' (Dreamworks SKG/HBO)
Before turning to the skies with "Masters of the Air" on Apple TV+, producers Spielberg, Hanks and Goetzman led us through both the European and Pacific theaters of war in two critically-acclaimed miniseries for HBO.
"Band of Brothers" (2001) followed the young men of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne as they parachuted behind enemy lines and were immediately embroiled in the bloodiest battles in the fight against the Nazis, including Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. The show won both the Emmy and Golden Globe awards for Best Miniseries.
2010's "The Pacific" took us island-hopping with the Marines as they dropped the ramps of their amphibious vehicles onto blood-soaked sands and engaged in guerrilla warfare against Japanese soldiers. Once again, Spielberg, Hanks and Goetzman took home the Emmy for Best Miniseries for "The Pacific."
'Masters of the Air' Cast
Callum Turner and Austin Butler in 'Masters of the Air' Episode 1. (Apple TV+)
"Masters of the Air" features a stacked cast of actors regularly cited as some of the most exciting talent in young Hollywood.
Austin Butler, whose titular role in the 2022 biopic "Elvis" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, stars as Major Gale Cleven, who served as an airman with the Bloody 100th and was captured by the Nazis as a POW.
British actor Callum Turner ("The Boys in the Boat") takes second billing as Major John Egan, the best friend of Cleven and a fellow airman who endured the agonizing conditions of life as a POW right alongside him.
Coming in as Lt. Curtis Biddick is Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who's turned in acclaimed performances in indie and blockbuster films like "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," Marvel's "The Eternals" and the 2023 drama "Saltburn." Keoghan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 2022 dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin."
Check out our full "Masters of the Air" cast and character guide for a detailed rundown of every actor portraying one of the Bloody 100th bombers.
When Does 'Masters of the Air' Premiere?
Nate Mann in 'Masters of the Air' Episode 6. (Apple TV+)
The first two episodes of "Masters of the Air" premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, with new episodes dropping every Friday through March 15. The series includes nine episodes total.
