In 2001, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks partnered to executive produce a ground-breaking TV project for HBO about “Easy” company – men of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division who fought in World War II's Western front: Band of Brothers.
Nine years later, Hanks and Spielberg teamed up again for a tale about Naval efforts in World War II: The Pacific.
Now in 2023, Hanks and Spielberg have come together again for a third WWII limited series, this time set in the air: Masters of the Air debuts January 26 on Apple TV Plus.
Los Angeles-based creative agency Imaginary Forces produced the main titles for all three of these series, with Band of Brothers and The Pacific both nominated for Emmys.
“We took flight 25,000 feet above the previous stories—above homes, concentration camps, foxholes, and generals. Honing the principles of past titles, we painted a heroic portrait that sought to feel timeless, not trendy. By interjecting the chaos and carnage of WWII airfare an evocative juxtaposition of heaven and hell is formed. With vignettes that maximize that contrast, the sky was our dominant motif,” Imaginary Forces wrote on its website.
Based on Donald L. Miller's book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct bombing raids over Nazi Germany. Beyond the sheer danger in which they placed themselves, the series also portrays the psychological and emotional price the young men paid as many of them were shot down, captured, wounded and killed.
The series stars Austin Butler (Elvis, Dune 2), Callum Turner (The Boys in the Boat) and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn, Dune 2) as well as Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Edward Ashley, Jonas Moore, Elliot Warren, Matt Gavan, Branden Cook, Sawyer Spielberg, Josiah Cross and Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Barbie, Dr. Who).
Directors include Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees and Tim Van Patten with Gary Goetzman executive producing along with Hanks and Spielberg.