Summary
- Advancements in technology, a star-studded cast, and a unique narrative make Masters of the Air the best companion series to Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
- Masters of the Air’s cutting-edge special effects and aerial combat scenes will surpass the visual impact of its predecessors.
- With an accomplished cast and the inclusion of black pilots, Masters of the Air brings diversity and intensity to the World War II narrative.
The upcoming Apple TV+ war drama Masters of the Air will act as a companion series to HBO’s acclaimed shows Band of Brothers and The Pacific, but the new show is poised to surpass its predecessors in a number of key aspects. Masters of the Air highlights the exploits of the 100th Bombardment Group, which flew missions across Western Europe over the course of World War II. The show is adapted from a book of first-hand accounts assembled by historian and WWII expert Donald L. Miller, just like Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
Masters of the Air was created and developed by the same team responsible for Band of Brothers and The Pacific, which includes Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. As the Masters of the Air trailer proved, the same attention to detail and quality of production is certainly expected. Although there will be major differences between the new show and its two companion series, the third war show can beat its predecessors. Advancements in technology, a star-studded cast, and a unique narrative can make Masters of the Air the best of the three companion series.
9 Masters Of The Air Can Look Even Better Than Band Of Brothers & The Pacific
Advancements In Special Effects Technology & A Larger Budget Will Help
In the 14 years since The Pacific was first released on HBO, great strides have been made in both CGI and special effects. With a budget estimated to be well above $200 million (via Deadline), it appears Masters of the Air was created using cutting-edge effects technology, especially with a cinematic icon like Steven Spielberg overseeing the project. Band of Brothers and The Pacific both broke new ground in special effects for television at the times of their respective releases, and Masters of the Air will likely be seen as equally ground-breaking, especially as its combat scenes take place in the air.
8 Masters Of The Air Features A More Cinematic Style Of Combat Than Band of Brothers & The Pacific
Air Combat Is More Visually Impressive
The battle scenes in both Band of Brothers and The Pacific are still celebrated thanks to their incredible attention to detail and the heightened level of realism they achieved. However impressive they might be, the aerial combat of Masters of the Air can blow them out of the water if the same standard of excellence is achieved. Simply put, midair combat is more thrilling and aesthetically pleasing than terrestrial combat, as evidenced by the success and acclaim garnered by 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. The battles of Band of Brothers and The Pacific will look tame in comparison to the intense and frenetic visuals of aerial combat.
7 Masters Of The Air Has A More Accomplished Cast Than Band Of Brothers & The Pacific
Austin Butler & Barry Keoghan Lead The Way
The casts of both Band of Brothers and The Pacific were both terrific despite being largely made up of relative unknowns or more famous actors playing against type. Masters of the Air will have an edge over its predecessors thanks to the level of dramatic talent of its main stars. Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan are both Oscar-nominated dramatic actors, and they will headline Masters of the Air‘s talented ensemble cast that includes actors like Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, and Ncuti Gatwa. Actors of that caliber will give the narrative the intensity and gravitas that the subject matter deserves.
6 Masters Of The Air Has A More Diverse Cast Than Band of Brothers & The Pacific
Masters of the Air Highlights Black Pilots
Like Masters of the Air, both Band of Brothers and The Pacific were depictions of real-life people and events that shaped World War II. Therefore, the cast lists were largely comprised of young white actors due to the American military still being segregated. Conversely, Masters of the Air will be able to include a diverse array of actors, as it will highlight the exploits of a number of black pilots that served in the airborne campaign against Germany in WWII.
BAFTA Award-winning actor Ncuti Gatwa will portray 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels, one of the famous Tuskegee Airmen who served as the first black military aviators in American history. The ensemble cast will also include black actors like Branden Cook, Francis Lovehall, and Bradley Banton, among others. Including the Tuskegee Airmen will afford the show an opportunity to not only celebrate the exploits of those pilots but also to provide some perspective on the experience of black soldiers during World War II.
5 Masters Of The Air Has More High-Profile Directors At The Helm Than Band of Brothers & The Pacific
Cary Joji Fukunaga & Dee Rees Headline The Directors’ List
Like most elements from Band of Brothers and The Pacific, the quality of the direction of both series earned plenty of praise. Masters of the Air will follow suit with a strong set of directors headlined by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the visionary behind the award-winning first season of HBO’s True Detective, the universally acclaimed Beasts of No Nation, and the final Daniel Craig James Bond movie No Time to Die. Fukunaga has been heavily involved in the series’ overall development, but he will be behind the camera for the first four episodes of Masters of the Air, which will establish the groundwork for the rest of the series.
|
Episode |
Directed By |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Cary Joji Fukunaga |
|
2 |
Cary Joji Fukunaga |
|
3 |
Cary Joji Fukunaga |
|
4 |
Cary Joji Fukunaga |
|
5 |
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck |
|
6 |
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck |
|
7 |
Dee Rees |
|
8 |
Dee Rees |
|
9 |
Tim Van Patten |
The inclusion of the Academy Award-nominated Dee Rees is also exciting, as she brings a unique style of direction to the show. Mentored under Spike Lee, Rees has already developed a reputation for attention to detail and varying stylistic choices, both of which will be great assets for the team behind Masters of the Air. Rees also brings a unique viewpoint to the story as both a woman of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, which could also help elevate Masters of the Air above its predecessors. The show’s remaining directors include Captain Marvel‘s Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and The Pacific vet Tim Van Patten.
4 Masters Of The Air Is Telling A Lesser-Known WWII Story Than Band Of Brothers & The Pacific
The Battle of the Bulge, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima Were More Famous
While the stories of Band of Brothers and The Pacific were harrowing and entertaining, the two shows covered parts of World War II that were already largely familiar to the average viewer. Band of Brothers detailed D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, while The Pacific depicted the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific and famous battles like Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Masters of the Air will benefit from exploring a part of the war that few viewers will be as familiar with: the bombing of German strongholds in Western Europe. Viewers having less information going in can help make the impact of the events stronger when they occur.
3 Masters Of The Air Has The Ensemble Cast That The Pacific Was Missing
The Pacific Focused On A Smaller Group
The Pacific differed from Band of Brothers by focusing on three central figures, all of whom fought in the same division (the First Marines) during different stages of the Pacific campaign. While that yielded gripping personal stories, it did so at the expense of the expansive cast of beloved characters that were the heart of Band of Brothers. Masters of the Air will fall more in line with Band of Brothers in that the cast will be significantly larger, which will allow the series to showcase different roles and perspectives within the 100th Bombardment Group.
2 Masters of the Air Will Have a Darker Tone Than Band of Brothers
There Will Be Heavy Casualties
One leg up that The Pacific always had over Band of Brothers was its darker, more despair-ridden tone. The unit at the heart of Band of Brothers certainly suffered its share of losses, but throughout the series, the war was still largely romanticized. The Pacific did the opposite–it highlighted the dark, horrifying side of World War II, which led to significant psychological distress in addition to the physical wounds it caused. Masters of the Air can also lean towards that darker tone, as the unit at its center suffered unusually heavy losses of both life and aircraft.
1 Masters Of The Air Will Feature A Completely Unique Subplot
A Prisoner-Of-War Storyline Is Included
While there were some divergences, both Band of Brothers and The Pacific largely focused on soldiers who were fighting a straightforward battle, entrenched with their fellow soldiers as they attempted to defeat or push back their enemy. Masters of the Air can beat both shows with one unique plot point: the capture and imprisonment of two of its main characters. The new show will depict life inside a German prisoner-of-war camp, which is territory that was never touched by either of its predecessors.
Masters of the Air will offer viewers a glimpse at an entirely new side of the war, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides of the conflict experienced time as prisoners. By and large, this experience has not been explored in depth in American movies or television, although there will certainly be some parallels between a prisoner-of-war camp and a concentration camp, which Band of Brothers did briefly explore. This unique Masters of the Air storyline will be marked by desperation and despair. It should achieve a new level of drama not seen in either of its companion series.
Source: Deadline
