A new trailer for "Masters of the Air" has just been released — and the latest peek reveals the massive scale and intensity of the WWII dogfights.
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From Executive Producers Tom Hanks, Stephen Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman — the same trio who brought us WWII dramas "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" — "Masters of the Air" follows the "Bloody Hundredth," a squadron of bomber pilots who suffered immense casualties while bringing the war to Hitler's doorstep.
The full brunt of the series' rumored $250-$300 million budget is on proud display in the new trailer. Expansive formations of bomber planes are picked apart in a buzz of enemy aircraft. Windshields erupt, cockpits fill with flames and screams, and the hulking "Flying Fortress" bombers spiral toward the earth.
The second trailer also shows the core friendship and romantic relationship that will be the beating heart of the nine-episode limited series. Major Gale "Buck" Cleven, portrayed by Oscar-nominated Austin Butler ("Elvis," "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood"), cozies up to his blonde sweetheart.
"A girl worth fighting for is hard to find," he says.
"Not if you know where to look," she replies.
In another scene, Cleven tells his pal, Major John "Bucky" Egan, not to "die on me before I get over there." (Yes, the two best buds are named "Buck" and "Bucky" and yes, these characters are based on real people).
Notably, the trailer offers a brief glimpse of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American pilots and airmen who served in WWII. They were known for their excellent combat record while defending American bombers from enemy fighters, for which they earned three Distinguished Unit Citations. The Tuskegee Airmen were initially rejected as pilots -- racist military higher-ups believed black people were incapable of flying an airplane. They were portrayed in the film "Red Tails" (2012), but many dismissed it as a corny representation. Hopefully, their appearance in "Masters of the Air" will do them justice.
The first two episodes of "Masters of the Air" premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. After that, one episode will be released every Friday through March 15, 2024.
