'Masters of the Air,' sequel to 'Band of Brothers,' signs its two leads

Masters of the Air has their stars.

What you need to know

• Austin Butler and Callum Turner have both signed on to star in Master of the Air.
• The ten-part miniseries will premiere on Apple TV+.

Masters of the Air, the latest installment of the Band of Brothers and The Pacific franchise, has found two of its main cast members. The new miniseries will premiere on Apple TV+, but it is unclear exactly when.

According to a new report from Deadline, Austin Butler and Callum Turner have both signed on to star in the new miniseries. Like to two miniseries before it, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' production studios are both attached to the project.

Master of the Air tells the true story of a group of United States Air Force bombers during World War II. Butler is best known for his role as one of the Manson family in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, while Turner played Newt Scamander's brother in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald.

Based on the compelling book by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air follows the true, deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler's doorstep. The series is written by Band of Brothers alumnus John Orloff and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Graham Yost, who are also co-executive producing. Produced by Apple Studios, Steven Spielberg will executive produce through Amblin Television, alongside executive producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman for Playtone. Amblin Television's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey and Playtone's Steven Shareshian serve as co-executive producers. Alex Maggioni will oversee the day-to-day development of the project for Amblin, alongside Spielberg, Frank and Falvey.

Unlike the first two miniseries, which were both released on HBO, the third installment of the franchise will make its premiere on Apple TV+.

Masters of the Air is a follow-up to the producers' Emmy-winning World War II HBO miniseries Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010), which they made for HBO. Each won the Emmy for Best Limited Series; Band of Brothers won seven total Emmys in 20 nominations, while The Pacific won eight Emmys in 24 nominations. Masters of the Air began development at HBO but shook loose as the outlet was overhauled. Apple secured it quickly.

According to the report, the Masters of the Air will cover ten episodes and cost about $200 million to produce. It is currently unclear when production will begin or when the series will make its debut on Apple's streaming service.

Exclusive content

Apple TV+

$5 per month at Apple

100% exclusive content for the price of a cup of coffee.

With TV+, you can watch well-produced, big-budget TV shows from famed directors, and starring award-winning actors and actresses across all your Apple devices and with up to six members of your Family Sharing group.