“Masters of the Air” soared to become Apple TV+’s highest-watched series launch ever when the first episodes dropped in January. While it might seem like a no-brainer that the team behind “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” — including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman — would hit it out of the park with a new World War II series, it wasn’t plain sailing, in large part thanks to Covid, which resulted in numerous delays. “It made the production very difficult,” Goetzman told Variety ahead of the series launch.
But also, in keeping with Apple TV+’s low-key publicity strategy, “Masters of the Air” somehow debuted on the streamer with minimal publicity, despite the fact that in the period between being pre- and post-production its key cast, including Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan and Ncuti Gatwa had been propelled from jobbing actors to leading men.
Adding to its challenges,...
But also, in keeping with Apple TV+’s low-key publicity strategy, “Masters of the Air” somehow debuted on the streamer with minimal publicity, despite the fact that in the period between being pre- and post-production its key cast, including Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan and Ncuti Gatwa had been propelled from jobbing actors to leading men.
Adding to its challenges,...
- 3/15/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
When screenwriter John Orloff reunited with “Band of Brothers” producers Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg to adapt Donald L. Miller’s “Masters of the Air,” a non-fiction account of the Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group during World War II, he knew he wanted to give the audience a visceral sense of what it was like to there in the planes.
“We all know what infantry combat looks like,” Orloff told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “We’ve seen it over and over and over. We haven’t really seen what these air bomber combat missions were really like. The thing about being in a bomber is you can’t deviate from your course, so it’s a different thing than being a fighter pilot where you get to shoot and dart all around and do whatever you want. When you’re in a bomber, the only way...
“We all know what infantry combat looks like,” Orloff told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “We’ve seen it over and over and over. We haven’t really seen what these air bomber combat missions were really like. The thing about being in a bomber is you can’t deviate from your course, so it’s a different thing than being a fighter pilot where you get to shoot and dart all around and do whatever you want. When you’re in a bomber, the only way...
- 2/23/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Over 22 years after the premiere of HBO’s landmark Band of Brothers and nearly 14 years after the launch of HBO’s The Pacific (not quite as good as Band of Brothers but still epic longform storytelling), executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Steven Spielberg have finally brought their third World War II series to the small screen.
It is, mind you, a misnomer to say that anything associated with Masters of the Air is “small,” be it the screen or otherwise. Based on Donald L. Miller’s 2007 book of the same name and developed for Apple TV+ by John Orloff, Masters of the Air is, by any measure, huge. It boasts a mammoth ensemble of young stars in various states of ascension, requires an astonishing quantity of technical effects to achieve its high-flying narrative and, when its key moments land, is equal parts breathtaking, exhilarating and rousingly inspirational.
There...
It is, mind you, a misnomer to say that anything associated with Masters of the Air is “small,” be it the screen or otherwise. Based on Donald L. Miller’s 2007 book of the same name and developed for Apple TV+ by John Orloff, Masters of the Air is, by any measure, huge. It boasts a mammoth ensemble of young stars in various states of ascension, requires an astonishing quantity of technical effects to achieve its high-flying narrative and, when its key moments land, is equal parts breathtaking, exhilarating and rousingly inspirational.
There...
- 1/24/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sheer terror. You’ll feel it in your bones as the young men of America’s 100th Bomb Group — nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” for the heavy losses they suffered — fly raids into Nazi territory in the action-packed true story, Masters of the Air. At the center are two best friends, dashing Major Gale “Buck” Cleven (Austin Butler) and mischievous Major John “Bucky” Egan (Callum Turner). “Buck and Bucky are both romantics who grew up dreaming of flying planes,” says John Orloff, who adapted the script for the nine-episode limited series from Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name. “That’s why they each joined the Army Air Corps in 1940, 18 months before America entered the war. It wasn’t to be soldiers. It was to fly planes. But the war slowly changes them, taking them from being boy-men to men.” Apple TV+ It’s familiar territory for Orloff, co-writer...
- 1/21/2024
- TV Insider
Exclusive: Emmy-nominated screenwriter John Orloff, co-executive producer of the highly anticipated Apple TV series Masters of the Air, has signed with Verve for representation.
Masters of the Air, produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and starring Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan, is set to premiere Friday, January 26. Based on Donald L. Miller’s book, the limited series follows the true story of an American bomber group in World War II. Orloff serves as co-executive producer and wrote all nine episodes.
Orloff’s previous credits inclue the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers, which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries. It won seven Emmys and the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries, and at the time was the most expensive miniseries ever produced. He also wrote A Mighty Heart, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay and Angelina Jolie...
Masters of the Air, produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and starring Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan, is set to premiere Friday, January 26. Based on Donald L. Miller’s book, the limited series follows the true story of an American bomber group in World War II. Orloff serves as co-executive producer and wrote all nine episodes.
Orloff’s previous credits inclue the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers, which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries. It won seven Emmys and the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries, and at the time was the most expensive miniseries ever produced. He also wrote A Mighty Heart, for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay and Angelina Jolie...
- 1/18/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air official trailer shows that amid the missions flown into enemy territory, the men of the 100th Bomb Group still had time to form romantic and platonic relationships. Based on the book by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air will premiere on January 26, 2024 with the release of the first two episodes.
New episodes of the nine-episode season air on Fridays, with the season finale set for March 15.
The ensemble cast is led by Oscar nominee Austin Butler (Elvis) and Callum Turner, and includes Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa. Band of Brothers and The Pacific‘s Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman serve as executive producers.
“Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the ‘Bloody Hundredth’) as they conduct perilous bombing raids...
New episodes of the nine-episode season air on Fridays, with the season finale set for March 15.
The ensemble cast is led by Oscar nominee Austin Butler (Elvis) and Callum Turner, and includes Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa. Band of Brothers and The Pacific‘s Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman serve as executive producers.
“Masters of the Air follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the ‘Bloody Hundredth’) as they conduct perilous bombing raids...
- 12/7/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Apple TV+ taketh away, but Apple TV+ also giveth in spades. It's been over a decade since production on the war epic "Masters of the Air" began, but the Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-executive produced limited series follow-up to "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific" is almost here. Originally developed as a project for HBO, "Masters of the Air" jumped over to Apple TV+ in 2019 as the first in-house production for the studio. Of course, filming a sweeping WWII drama with explosions and flight scenes will take a bit more time than, say, a relatable dramedy like "Shrinking" (not to mention the necessary delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic), but the newest trailer for the highly-anticipated series signals that our wait has not been in vain.
Based on Donald L. Miller's book of the same name, "Band of Brothers" and "A Mighty Heart" writer John Orloff co-created the...
Based on Donald L. Miller's book of the same name, "Band of Brothers" and "A Mighty Heart" writer John Orloff co-created the...
- 12/6/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
An almost-mythical assassin ventures beyond the point of no return, now that he has nothing left to lose. As he nears the end of his long-winding, ultra-violent path to salvation, he beats up innumerable goons, faces off against crime bosses, and indiscriminately kills anyone standing in his way. Such is the scope and ambition of Chad Stahelski's "John Wick: Chapter 4," a nearly three hour long movie that's as fast and thrilling as action-driven films come. Not that longer movies, in general, are necessarily harder to sit through -- after all, an eight-minute short could be tedious to watch, whereas a four-hour cut of a deftly-crafted saga might feel like a breeze. "John Wick: Chapter 4" is near-perfect in terms of the quality it delivers within its runtime, as things are allowed to develop at an appropriate pace without ever feeling rushed or hackneyed.
When fans of the franchise learned that the first,...
When fans of the franchise learned that the first,...
- 5/14/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
I don't envy the editor of "John Wick: Chapter 4." Director Chad Stahelski basically used Lionsgate's money to shoot wildly extravagant action and combat sequences that went beyond anything in the previous "John Wick" movies — which, considering the action movie majesty of the "John Wick" franchise, is saying something.
Remember that club fight sequence in "Chapter 4," where Keanu Reeves' assassin faces off against stunt legend Scott Adkins in a fat suit? According to the film's stunt coordinators Stephen Dunlevy and Scott Rogers, it was actually the most challenging scene to film and believe it or not, was initially twice as long as what you see in the final movie. Then there's that entire third act that's basically one long action montage, as Baba Yaga fights his way across Paris toward his final showdown with Bill Skarsgård's Marquis Vincent de Gramont. And all of this even after Stahelski cut...
Remember that club fight sequence in "Chapter 4," where Keanu Reeves' assassin faces off against stunt legend Scott Adkins in a fat suit? According to the film's stunt coordinators Stephen Dunlevy and Scott Rogers, it was actually the most challenging scene to film and believe it or not, was initially twice as long as what you see in the final movie. Then there's that entire third act that's basically one long action montage, as Baba Yaga fights his way across Paris toward his final showdown with Bill Skarsgård's Marquis Vincent de Gramont. And all of this even after Stahelski cut...
- 5/7/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
At the beginning of Chad Stahelski's epic action picture "John Wick: Chapter 4," the title character has been excommunicated from an ultra-dangerous, ultra-secret assassins guild -- the High Table -- that he and thousands of other professional assassins belong to. As the "John Wick" movies have progressed, the edicts of the High Table have become more and more complicated, and the rules of the films' assassin universe have become nearly impossible to comprehend. Luckily, John Wick -- and the audience -- can rest assured that there are "safe zones" in the world where murder shenanigans are not allowed. At the exclusive, assassins-only Continental Hotel, a high-end, privately run hospitality chain with branches all over the world, no violence is permitted. No matter how much a professional killer might want to off a rival, they will not be allowed to if either of them is at the Continental. Breaking this rule leads to excommunication.
- 5/1/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
One of the many pleasures of “John Wick: Chapter Four” is how it seamlessly integrates camera movement, editing, and action choreography with music — no surprise given that director Chad Stahelski has acknowledged “Singin’ in the Rain” and Bob Fosse as influences. The propulsive score by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard weaves in and out of needle drops by Le Castle Vania, Manon Hollander, and Lola Colette, whose cover of Martha and the Vandellas’ “Nowhere to Run” ties “John Wick: Chapter 4” to one of its primary sources of inspiration, Walter Hill’s “The Warriors.” The balance between score and source music mirrors and enhances the careful rhythms established by Stahelski’s staging and structuring of the set pieces, and it was one of the most enjoyable aspects of editor Nathan Orloff’s job.
“I had a lot of fun putting music to this,” Orloff told IndieWire, noting that the...
“I had a lot of fun putting music to this,” Orloff told IndieWire, noting that the...
- 4/8/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
It only takes about five minutes of conversation with Chad Stahelski, the director of all four “John Wick” movies, to realize that he’s a passionate cinephile whose unique combination of influences is what gives the “Wick” franchise its distinct look. While Stahelski’s devotion to Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, and other action directors might be expected, it’s an entirely different genre that provides the most important — and perhaps most surprising — basis for his work. “Everybody laughs when I say it, but I love musicals,” Stahelski told IndieWire. “Bob Fosse is a huge inspiration. Gene Kelly in ‘Singin’ in the Rain.’ We didn’t reinvent action or anything with ‘John Wick’ — we just spent all our money and time preparing Keanu to be our Gene Kelly.”
Read More: Why ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Earns Its Almost 3-Hour Running Time
All of the “John Wick” movies use Stahelski favorites like...
Read More: Why ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Earns Its Almost 3-Hour Running Time
All of the “John Wick” movies use Stahelski favorites like...
- 3/23/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
The initial cut of 'John Wick: Chapter 4' was almost four hours long.Director Chad Stahelski was worried about the lengthy cut at first, even though he had been given no mandate about how long or short the project should be.Chad told IndieWire: "To be really honest with you, zero was planned out. Our first cut was three hours and 45 minutes, and it felt like three hours and 45 minutes. We were like, oh, we're so screwed."Editor Nathan Orloff had the task of cutting the movie down to 169 minutes and explained that he was able to make changes by keeping the plot focused on Keanu Reeves' titular assassin.He said: "I wanted to make sure that he was still at the centre of the universe, that everything always led back to him even though we were cutting away from him."Orloff revealed that he removed any...
- 3/23/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Much has been made about the runtime of "John Wick: Chapter 4" in the lead up to the film's release. While the first three entries in the series were tight, two-ish hour action extravaganzas, director Chad Stahelski has delivered a monster 169-minute return for Keanu Reeves' expert assassin. Yep, nearly three hours of Mr. Wick doing his thing. But as we've now learned, the original cut of the film was far longer, and the filmmakers really had to work to get it down to something releasable.
Stahelski and the film's editor, Nathan Orloff, recently spoke with the folks at IndieWire, and during the conversation, the director revealed that the first cut they assembled was damn near four hours long. "To be really honest with you, zero was planned out. Our first cut was three hours and 45 minutes, and it felt like three hours and 45 minutes. We were like, 'Ih, we're so screwed,...
Stahelski and the film's editor, Nathan Orloff, recently spoke with the folks at IndieWire, and during the conversation, the director revealed that the first cut they assembled was damn near four hours long. "To be really honest with you, zero was planned out. Our first cut was three hours and 45 minutes, and it felt like three hours and 45 minutes. We were like, 'Ih, we're so screwed,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
At 169 minutes, “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a whole lot of movie. The two-hour-and-50-minute action extravaganza is powered by nonstop set pieces that are so frenetic and visceral that you’ll hardly realize you’ve been sitting in a movie theater for nearly three hours. Such breezy pacing did not exist in the film’s first cut, which director Chad Stahelski and editor Nathan Orloff told IndieWire clocked in at a whopping three hours and 45 minutes.
“To be really honest with you, zero was planned out,” Stahelski said about the movie’s runtime. “Our first cut was three hours and 45 minutes, and it felt like three hours and 45 minutes. We were like, ‘Oh, we’re so screwed.'”
Part of the reason “John Wick: Chapter 4” originally had and still has a massive runtime is because it greatly expands the world of its title character and introduces a handful...
“To be really honest with you, zero was planned out,” Stahelski said about the movie’s runtime. “Our first cut was three hours and 45 minutes, and it felt like three hours and 45 minutes. We were like, ‘Oh, we’re so screwed.'”
Part of the reason “John Wick: Chapter 4” originally had and still has a massive runtime is because it greatly expands the world of its title character and introduces a handful...
- 3/22/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
When editor Nathan Orloff first met with “John Wick: Chapter 4” director Chad Stahelski about working on the latest entry in American cinema’s greatest franchise, he quickly realized that this “John Wick” was going to be a bit different. “Chad said that it was going to be more of an ensemble movie, where you’re toggling between different stories,” Orloff told IndieWire. If the stripped-down original was Stahelski’s “A Fistful of Dollars” and the second and third installments expanded the “John Wick” universe in a manner comparable to “For a Few Dollars More,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” is Stahelski’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” the movie that takes “John Wick” into the realm of the epic.
At 169 minutes, the film is epic in length as well as scope, but it never feels overlong, the result of arduous but intuitive work in the editing room by Orloff and Stahelski.
At 169 minutes, the film is epic in length as well as scope, but it never feels overlong, the result of arduous but intuitive work in the editing room by Orloff and Stahelski.
- 3/22/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Hello, everyone! We’re back with the final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases for the month of August, and we’ve got quite a few killer titles headed home today. Scream Factory is giving Paul Schrader’s Cat People remake a 4K overhaul in a brand-new Collector’s Edition release, and Severin Films is keeping busy with several titles today as well, including All About Evil and Fearless, and if you haven’t had a chance to check it out for yourself yet, Jane Schoenbrun’s extremely unsettling We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is headed to Blu-ray this week as well.
Other titles being released on August 30th include Arrow Video’s Giallo Essentials: 3-Disc Limited Edition Collection, Lux Aeterna, Satan’s Children, Jack Be Nimble featuring Alexis Arquette, The Oregonian, Raw Nerve, and Shriek of the Mutilated.
All About Evil: 2-Disc Special Edition
It's...
Other titles being released on August 30th include Arrow Video’s Giallo Essentials: 3-Disc Limited Edition Collection, Lux Aeterna, Satan’s Children, Jack Be Nimble featuring Alexis Arquette, The Oregonian, Raw Nerve, and Shriek of the Mutilated.
All About Evil: 2-Disc Special Edition
It's...
- 8/30/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
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