Masters of the Air: Apple TV+’s Star-Studded WWII Drama Takes Flight in Breathtaking Trailer

Apple TV+ is going all in on the promotional train for Masters of Air.

The official trailer for the star-studded new series premiered Thursday, and it’s bursting at the seams with action, heartwrenching moments, and fine acting.

The World War II drama will debut globally on Friday, January 26, 2024.

The series will premiere on Apple TV+ with two episodes, followed by one new episode every Friday through March 15, 2024.

Interestingly, it reunites the award-winning team of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman, who also produced Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

The series follows the true story of an American bomber group in World War II.

Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen, and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air.

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Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of Masters of the Air.

Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home.

Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.

“Ranging in location from the bucolic fields and villages of southeast England, to the harsh deprivations of a German Prisoner of War Camp, and depicting a unique and crucial time in world history, Masters of the Air is enormous in both scale and scope, and a genuine cinematic achievement,” says Apple TV+ in a press release.

It’s a compelling concept, and the trailer looks like it will capture the courage of these people who come together to put their lives on the line.

There will be high stakes, huge action set pieces, and many difficult moments.

The cast is led by Academy Award-nominee Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Academy Award-nominee Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa.

“When you look at it, you don’t pay any attention to what’s really going on,” says Butler’s Cleven as he watches bombs explode in the dead of night from the sky, adding:

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“It’s kind of beautiful.”

In those moments, accepting defeat was not an opportunity because of the mission at hand, so we’ll see the human side of these men as they come together under these extraordinary circumstances.

As the trailer indicates, people react to facing deadly situations very differently, so we’re sure there will be many talking points as the series rolls out.

Coming on the back of the success of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, it’s difficult not to have high expectations.

Both shows were flawless from start to finish, so hopefully, the quality will be good with this next chapter.

The series is based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name and is scripted by John Orloff.

“‘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,” said executive producer Gary Goetzman in a statement earlier this year.

“Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this ‘singular event in the history of warfare.'”

“We’re thrilled that Apple TV+ has given us the opportunity to combine the efforts of so many talented people, on-screen and behind the camera, to tell this important story.”

Check out the official trailer below, and hit the comments with your thoughts.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.