Masters of the Air is the latest World War II series from producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. It follows the previously made HBO shows Band of Brothers and The Pacific. I love these shows, and Masters of the Air is an awesome addition to the franchise.
As I’ve been watching it, I’ve actually been worried that we would stop seeing shows and movies like this getting made. I’ve been worried that the further we get from WWII, with this new generation of audiences spending time on TikTok, there might be a lack of interest in these kinds of projects.
So, I was incredibly happy to hear that Masters of the Air launched with the most viewers ever for Apple TV+. It’s reported that “following the premiere of Masters of the Air, viewership across all of Apple TV+ climbed by 65% worldwide when compared to the previous seven-day period. The streamer also maintained double-digit growth across more than 100 territories.”
This is great news because it means that Spielberg and Hanks are likely going to follow this series up with another World War II project. There are so many incredible stories to tell, and I would love nothing more than to see these shows continue to get made.
The series is based on the book of the same name by Donald L. Miller, and it follows the true story of the “American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep.”
Producer Gary Goetzman talked about the series saying: “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. 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.”
Austin Butler stars in the series as Major Gale Cleven alongside Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick and Callum Turner as Major John Egan. The large ensemble cast also features Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby, Nate Mann as Major Robert Rosenthal, and Raff Law as Sgt. Ken Lemmons.
The series finale will bow on the streamer on March 15th.
Source: Variety
