‘Masters of the Air’ Review: Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan’s World War II Epic Takes Flight

“As our crews got younger, our casualties climbed, and the morale on base plummeted.”

In 2001, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman continued their collaborative efforts after the success of 1998’s Academy Award-winning World War II film, “Saving Private Ryan.” Working with HBO and adapting Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 novel, the iconic producers brought the heroic story of Easy Company’s 101st Airborne Division to life via the critically acclaimed miniseries, “Band of Brothers.” The ensemble series starred Damian Lewis, Neal McDonough, Ron Livingston, Scott Grimes, Kirk Acevedo and David Schwimmer, eventually winning the Emmy award for Outstanding Miniseries.

To replicate the success of “Band of Brothers,” the same producing team told the story of three young Marines during the Pacific War in 2010’s “The Pacific.”