Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg‘s collaboration on Saving Private Ryan spawned the critically acclaimed HBO series Band of Brothers, which chronicled the infantry troops on the ground in Europe during World War II. It was a massive hit, followed by The Pacific, an equally great series focused on the Pacific Theater during the war. Now, the producers are back with a third installment in their chronicle of WWII, Masters of the Air. Focused on the United States air forces during the 1940s, this series is bound to be another substantial win for Spielberg, Hanks, and all involved. Read our rave review here!
Masters of the Air stars Elvis’ Austin Butler and The Boys in the Boat‘s Callum Turner as best friends and pilots during the heaviest warfare of the campaign. Part of the 100th, known as the Bloody Hundredth, the two pilots, both nicknamed Buck, form a bond with their fellow airmen as they fight against the German forces through France and beyond. The series features an ensemble of up-and-coming talent and direction from Cary Fukunaga, best known for True Detective and No Time To Die. Masters of the Air is a sweeping epic that features combat unlike anything else we have seen on screen before.
I got to talk to some of the talent involved with Masters of the Air about the new series. Anthony Boyle, who plays Major Harry Crosby, talked about portraying a navigator and what he learned that role entailed during WWII. Nate Mann, who plays Major Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, discussed the challenge of not only the aerial sequences but the drama involved in characters discovering the atrocities the Nazis committed. I also spoke with producer Gary Goetzman, a long-time collaborator with Tom Hanks as well as the real-life inspiration for the film Licorice Pizza, about the potential for a fourth entry in this ongoing war saga as well as Tom Hanks’ next film, Greyhound 2, and appreciating vinyl records. Check out the full interview in the embed above.
Masters of the Air is now streaming on AppleTV+.
