During the Apple TV+ Finale Celebration, the epic World War II drama series “Masters of the Air” received well-deserved acclaim.
Masters of the Air was a labor of love for executive producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg. The Apple TV+ series marks the third and final installment of the trio’s war drama miniseries, after Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
The series took three years to create and cost between $250 million and $300 million to produce, including a hefty $60 million in Covid compliance costs to film during the pandemic. The result was an epic nine-part series with 325 speaking parts and an amazing cast of up-and-coming actors.
“The best stories are from history,” said Goetzman during a discussion at the Deadline and Apple TV+ event Inside the Finale, joined by series cast members Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Rafferty Law, Josiah Cross, Nate Mann and Anthony Boyle. “Nonfiction is always more fascinating than fiction, and there are no greater stories of human cost, triumph, passion, love… the biggest story of our world is keeping it in a democratic, beautiful place.”
Gary Goetzman boasts an impressive ensemble cast and a gripping storyline.
Here are the highlights from the event:
Impressive Cast of Masters of the Air
With 325 speaking parts, “Masters of the Air” features a talented ensemble that brings the wartime narrative to life. The actors discussed their experiences during the celebration, emphasizing the depth and complexity of their characters.
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Labor of Love:
Executive producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg poured their hearts into creating this series. Their commitment to historical accuracy and storytelling excellence shines through in every episode.
Inside the Finale:
The event provided insights into the show’s production, character development, and emotional impact. Fans and industry insiders alike celebrated the show’s successful conclusion.
Band of Brothers and The Pacific launched many outstanding careers — Tom Hardy, Rami Malek, James McAvoy, Damian Lewis, and Michael Fassbender — and garnered 14 Emmy wins in total. If the audience’s reaction to the thrilling conclusion was any indication, Masters of the Air stuck the landing and is on trend to surpass both previous series in accolades.
After screening the ninth and final episode of the epic series, Goetzman was joined by the cast on stage to discuss the series. While Austin Butler couldn’t attend, the crowd was filled with stars including Isabel May and Dua Lipa.
Starting the cast for the evening was Callum Turner, who played Maj. John “Bucky” Egan. “There’s a lot I liked about Egan, and he has a temper, he drinks a lot… and he wants to have a good time, but underneath all of that is a human who wants the best for the world.” Turner, who recently starred in George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat, says his attachment to the character was through Egan’s “ferocious spirit” and connection as best friend to Butler’s Maj. Gale Buck Cleven.
Rafferty Law began with some insight into how Sgt inspired him. Ken Lemmons, the crafty mechanic, patched bullet-riddled planes to keep them airborne. “The thing that stuck out for me the most was his willingness to lead by example,” said Law. “He was always spoken of as such a humble, loving person, and I think it’s really important to be able to bring that to the ground crew and show [from their perspective] what they were going through as these guys went off on missions and a lot of the time didn’t return.”
Barry Keoghan, Oscar-nominated for The Banshees of Inisherin and recently in Saltburn, insists his character, the heroic flyer Lt. Curtis Biddick, was “there in spirit” for the entire run. “The Irish kind of bring a sense of humor to massive things and try to kind of brush it under the carpet, so I wanted to humanize it and do that in a way.”
Josiah Cross’ character, Lt. Richard D. Macon was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American military pilots who were often left out of the celebration once the war was finished. “They were left out of the newspapers,” said Cross, “so I wanted to put a face and voice to it to actually have people care if that makes sense.”
Cross’ point about the generational disconnect raises an important question: Could we be as brave facing these hardships and circumstances? For Turner, it’s all about what is being fought for. “They were putting themselves in the most volatile situations known to mankind,” he said. “They did it because they were fighting for something they believed in, and they were fighting for each other.”
