Masters of the Air is the latest war series from executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg – the same minds who brought us Band of Brothers and The Pacific, two epic World War 2 dramas.
The new show's massive cast is filled with stars, including Austin Butler, Callum Turner, and Barry Keoghan. Speaking on the Inside Total Film podcast, Keoghan shares his excitement over working with Hanks and Spielberg.
"It's crazy, it really is. Just seeing Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks just potter about as well is surreal," Keoghan says. "They're icons. And [executive producer] Gary Goetzman as well, the whole team, the whole production, everyone that they had involved from Colleen [Atwood] in costume – everyone was just on their A-game. You felt a level of good pressure to rise up to that and be a pro about it."
"You feel that presence, and day one, boot camp, everyone's super excited to be there. We're still in the pandemic, so everyone's just happy to be working and meeting new people," adds Keoghan's co-star Rafferty Law. "And obviously we know that legacy of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, and the producers are the best of the best, but you feel supported and you feel like you're in good hands… Just having them and that presence and that support there. And when you do a project like this with them, it's not just what they bring, but it's the people they bring in as well. It's such a great, all round team."
Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group and is based on the book 'Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany' by Donald L. Miller. The unit earned the nickname the "Bloody Hundredth" thanks to the sheer amount of losses it suffered.
The first two episodes debut on Apple TV+ this January 26, with further episodes to follow weekly. For even more from our Masters of the Air interviews, head to the Inside Total Film podcast, available on:
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