Apple TV+ takes us into aerial battle with 'Masters of the Air'

"Masters of the Air," coming to Apple TV+ (source: Apple)

While not a direct sequel, "Masters of the Air" is regarded as a third series in the vein of "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific." Made by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, it was originally developed by HBO, the network behind the first two shows.

With "The Pacific" airing in 2010, Apple has tweeted a teaser trailer with the phrase, "You've been waiting over a decade for this."

Written by John Orloff — who wrote "Band of Brothers" — it's based on the 2007 book by Donald L. Miller. Over nine episodes, reported to have cost $250 million, the drama follows the pilots of the 100th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War.

Co-created by Orloff and John Shiban — best known for "The X-Files" and "Star Trek: Enterprise" — "Masters of the Air" is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman.

"Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this 'singular event in the history of warfare,'" Goetzman said in an earlier statement about the series. "We're thrilled that Apple TV+ has given us the opportunity to combine the efforts of so many talented people, on-screen and behind the camera, to tell this important story."

"Masters of the Air" stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa.