After being stuck in development hell for almost ten years, Masters of the Air, the World War II series by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Cary Fukunaga, is finally moving forward. In fact, from being a show that was expected to never see the light of day, the war drama has switched to having a release date just mere months away.
Touted as a spiritual successor to HBO’s war dramas Band of Brothers and The Pacific, plans for Masters of the Air came into existence back in 2012, with Hanks and Spielberg set to be executive producers of the upcoming show.
HBO was swift in confirming that it had green-lit the drama, which would adapt David L. Miller’s book of the same name that focuses on the United States Army Forces during World War II. The show is set to especially focus on the bombing of Nazi Germany, and “the elite group of fighters who put their lives on the line in the most dangerous role of all.”
After a few years of silence, HBO backed out of the deal in 2019 and Apple TV Plus swooped in to claim the exclusive streaming rights of the series that will explore the story of the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force. Already derailed for years, the series next fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was followed by all the sexual misconduct allegations against its director Cary Fukunaga (No Time To Die) that quickly usurped his place as Hollywood’s new sought-after director.
These allegations regarding Fukunaga put the show on hold once again, but Apple TV Plus seems to have decided that it is done keeping Masters of the Air on a shelf. While it is getting little promotion at the moment – probably to refrain from controversy in regard to Fukunaga – its A-list star cast is more than capable of amping up the hype on its own, in case news of the $300 million series rising from its ashes in the era of cruel cancelations wasn’t enough.
The cast of Masters of the Air
Long before Oppenheimer decided to cast half of Hollywood, Masters of the Air already laid copyright claim to the trend with its chunky cast of talented actors.
So far, we don’t have an official trailer for the upcoming series, but Apple TV Plus’ Winter 2022 & Beyond video did debut a first look at Golden Globe-winner Austin Butler (Elvis) as the real-life character of Major Gale Cleven who led the bombings in Germany. Recently released first-look pictures also confirm Butler’s major role in the series.
Butler is not the only Oscar nominee buffing out the cast of Masters of the Air as it will also see Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin, The Batman) as Lt. Curtis Biddick. There are other famous names attached to the show like Freddy Carter (Shadow and Bone), Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Anthony Boyle (Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education and Doctor Who), David Shields (The Crown), Ben Radcliffe (Pandora), Elliot Warren (The Batman), Nate Mann (Licorice Pizza), Rafferty Law (Twist), Edward Ashley (The Terror), Darragh Cowley (The Essex Serpent), and yes, Steven Spielberg’s son, Sawyer Spielberg.
Masters of the Air release date — when it is debuting on Apple TV Plus
While this was a tricky question to answer for quite a while, with no associated offering an official date for its release, there is now a clear answer. The first two episodes of Masters of the Air are set to debut on January 26, 2024, with the remaining seven episodes being released on a weekly basis after that.
After such a long wait and a complicated set of events leading up to this highly-anticipated release, viewers are excited to finally get to see the show for themselves.