The long-awaited WWII drama Masters of the Air is releasing at the perfect time thanks to the current wave of success that one of the show’s most famous cast members is enjoying. From executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, Masters of the Air will follow in the footsteps of its companion shows Band of Brothers and The Pacific as it chronicles the true story of the 100th Bombardment Group, one of the most distinguished flying units of World War II. The show will separate itself from its predecessors by covering major air battles as opposed to ground operations.
Masters of the Air will feature over 300 speaking parts, and is set up to be a true ensemble show. However, it features several well-known actors, including multiple Academy Award nominees. The marketing materials for the show have heavily featured Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), but the show will also star well-recognized actors like Callum Turner (The Boys in the Boat), Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie) and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin). While all of its major stars are red-hot in the film industry at the moment, Masters of the Air will release at the perfect time to capitalize on one star’s recent success in particular.
Masters Of The Air Can Perfectly Build On Barry Keoghan’s Saltburn Success
Keoghan’s popularity is at an all-time high following Saltburn‘s streaming release.
Barry Keoghan is no stranger to critical and box office success. The Irish actor has been recognized for his roles in noteworthy films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Eternals, The Green Knight, and he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work on The Banshees of Inisherin. However, his most recent project, the psychological thriller Saltburn, has helped his popularity reach an all-time high.
Saltburn released in theaters on November 22nd, 2023, to a good, if not great critical reception. It caught fire once it was released on Amazon Prime a month later, though, and quickly became the #1 movie on Amazon Prime’s streaming list, and was so popular it even got a 23-year-old song charting again. Starring Jacob Elordi alongside Keoghan, the eccentric thriller slips between comedy and drama as it explores the themes of obsession and excess. The massive popularity of Saltburn has Keoghan firmly fixed at the forefront of the American streaming audience’s field of vision, which is ideal considering Masters of the Air is following hot on its heels.
Barry Keoghan Is Great For Masters Of The Air (& Another Role Proves It)
Keoghan’s acting pedigree means he can bring the necessary gravitas to World War II drama.
Keoghan is largely famous for taking on strange, almost annoying roles in his most famous films. His characters in both The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Banshees of Inisherin are uncomfortable and creepy, which is a testament to Keoghan’s skill as an actor. However, he is also perfectly capable of playing a straight, dramatic character, as Saltburn proved. That’s important given the level of tragedy and drama that will be required of him in Masters of the Air, in which he plays a major role as a pilot in a WWII unit that was famous for its catastrophic loss of life.
Keoghan also has experience in a World War II drama, which will certainly help with his role in Masters of the Air. Keoghan was featured in 2017’s Dunkirk as the tragic character George Mills, a young man who is accidentally killed in what should have been a harmless scuffle. The combination of Keoghan’s distinguished pedigree as a dramatic actor with the incredible level of popularity that Saltburn currently has, the timing could not be better for Masters of the Air to debut.
Masters of the Air
- Release Date:
- 2024-01-26
- Seasons:
- 1
