Austin Butler Takes To A Spielberg-Produced Sky In The Masters Of The Air Trailer
Apple TV+ taketh away, but Apple TV+ also giveth in spades. It's been over a decade since production on the war epic "Masters of the Air" began, but the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-executive produced limited series follow-up to "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" is almost here. Originally developed as a project for HBO, "Masters of the Air" jumped over to Apple TV+ in 2019 as the first in-house production for the studio. Of course, filming a sweeping WWII drama with explosions and flight scenes will take a bit more time than, say, a relatable dramedy like "Shrinking" (not to mention the necessary delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic), but the newest trailer for the highly-anticipated series signals that our wait has not been in vain.
Based on Donald L. Miller's book of the same name, "Band of Brothers" and "A Mighty Heart" writer John Orloff co-created the series with "Breaking Bad" writer-director John Shiban. The series tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group (aka the Bloody Hundredth), who conducted bombing raids over Nazi Germany in WWII under extreme circumstances. At 25,000 feet in the air, the oxygen is low and the temperature is bitterly cold, but these men were willing to risk it all to bring Hitler's Third Reich to an end. Check out the latest trailer for the nine-episode series and get ready to kick off 2024 with what will surely be one of the most talked-about events of the year.
An absolute stunner of a cast
If you thought the casts of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were impressive, allow "Masters of the Air" to say, "Hold my plane." Leading the roster of greats is Academy Award-nominee Austin Butler, who plays Major Gale Cleven, and "Fantastic Beasts" star Callum Turner as Major John Egan. Joining the duo are Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, "Doctor Who" himself, Ncuti Gatwa, and Academy Award-nominee Barry Keoghan. This is great news for people who love it when film and television break their hearts because this is a war story ... not all of these boys are making it home alive or in one piece. I can't wait to fall in love with these characters and cry about it!
"Masters of the Air" is executive produced by Spielberg through his Amblin Television banner, and Hanks and Gary Goetzman for Playtone. Amblin Television's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey co-executive produced alongside Playtone's Steven Shareshian. Orloff served as a co-executive producer in addition to his writing credit, alongside Graham Yost. The directors for the series include Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Dee Rees, Tim Van Patten, and Cary Joji Fukunaga, who had reportedly left the production after allegations of his inappropriate behavior on set were made public.
"Masters of the Air” will premiere globally on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Friday, January 26, followed by one new episode every Friday until March 15, 2024.