Apple's $250 Million Masters Of The Air Bet Makes Spielberg's Band Of Brothers Even More Impressive

Masters of the Air serves as a companion series to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, as they were produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, but the third show's budget proves how the original (Band of Brothers) is superior. The 2024 war drama miniseries, created by John Shiban and John Orloff, is based on Donald L. Miller's 2007 novel of the same name. So, whereas Band of Brothers focuses on the Army and The Pacific revolves around the Marines, Masters of the Air is about the 100th Bomb Group of the Air Force (and all three are set during World War II).

Masters of the Air had an ensemble cast, many of whom played characters based on real people. Some of the most prominent cast members include Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan, and Ncuti Gatwa. Meanwhile, Band of Brothers featured the talents of David Schwimmer, Colin Hanks, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, and more. So, given that both miniseries had all-star casts, intense special effects, and impressive sets, their budgets had to be massive. But Masters of the Air had an edge over Band of Brothers (money-wise) that ultimately confirmed the original show was more impressive.

Masters Of The Air's Budget Was Considerably Higher Than Band Of Brothers

Apple TV+ Spent Around $250 Million On The 2024 War Miniseries

According to Deadline, Masters of the Air's budget was around $250 million to $300 million, significantly higher than what Band of Brothers had while filming in the early 2000s. Reports claim that Band of Brothers' budget was $125 million, around $220 million in 2024 when adjusted for inflation. Of course, both war drama miniseries had insane budgets (likely because Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg were producers). However, the 2024 show was given much more money, despite having one less episode than its predecessor — Masters of the Air had nine episodes, while Band of Brothers featured ten.

Band Of Brothers' Action & Visuals Beat Masters Of The Air, Despite The Lower Budget

Band Of Brothers' Budget Was Around $125 Million

Masters of the Air seemingly had an advantage over Band of Brothers because it had more money than the 2001 HBO television show could use during production. One would think that a bigger budget and more advanced technology would mean that the third miniseries in the Band of Brothers franchise would succeed the first. However, after Master of the Air's ending in March 2024, it was evident that, despite its immense budget, the Apple TV+ series couldn't compare to the action and visual effects in Band of Brothers.

Of course, that is not to say that Masters of the Air was visually displeasing, as it featured numerous exciting special effects and was applauded for its spectacular production design. Some of the flying CGI in the 2024 war drama miniseries looked a bit wonky, but for the most part, it was impressive to watch. However, when comparing Masters of the Air's visuals to its predecessor, the newer show falls short since Band of Brothers looked incredible and had some of the best action sequences on television (even though it had a smaller budget).

Source: Deadline