Masters of the Air is a new streaming television miniseries that follows the heroic and harrowing missions of the 100th Bomb Group, a B-17 Flying Fortress unit in the Eighth Air Force during World War II.
It is set to premiere in the US tomorrow, January 26th, on Apple TV+, a companion to the previous award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010).
Produced by Apple Studios, in cooperation with Amblin Television and Playtone, Masters of the Air has a budget of $250 million, making it one of the most expensive and ambitious projects in television history.
The series is based on the 2007 book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller, which is a comprehensive and compelling account of the 100th Bomb Group that was nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” due to the heavy losses it incurred in combat missions.
The book covers their history, operations, and experiences, from its formation in 1942 to its final mission in 1945, and also explores the broader context and impact of the strategic bombing campaign on the war and the home front.
It stars Austin Butler as Major Gale Cleven, the commander of the 100th Bomb Group; Callum Turner as Major John Egan, the operations officer of the 100th Bomb Group; Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby, the intelligence officer of the 100th Bomb Group; Barry Keoghan as Lieutenant Curtis Biddick, a pilot and a friend of Crosby; and Nikolai Kinski as Colonel Harold Huglin, the commander of the 13th Combat Wing.
The series also features Stephen Campbell Moore, Sawyer Spielberg, Isabel May, Nate Mann, Raff Law, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, Ncuti Gatwa, Kai Alexander, James Murray, Ben Radcliffe, Darragh Cowley, among others, in supporting roles.
Masters of the Air is filmed in England, with locations such as Trinity Church Square, London, and RAF Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, serving as the sets for the 100th Bomb Group’s base and airfield.
