This is pretty unexpected. After The Pacific wow’d viewers by completing the World War II mini-series arc on HBO just two years ago, everyone figured that the book had been closed on 1940′s-era war programming on premium cable. Well, think again. Playlist now has the story that the network’s heads are currently mulling a third mini that would take on the aerial battles in the Pacific theater.
While details are obviously running on empty at the moment, we imagine that Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks via the Playtone banner will be behind this one (although that is yet to be confirmed.) The Pacific cost about $100 million to make, suggesting an investment of the sort would require the best team possible and not an untested unit. If that is the case, we will be looking for the source material at the center of it all.
Now, to address the elephant in the room. The Pacific flat out was not as well-received as Band of Brothers. A lot of that was due to timing, but also there was the sense that the show focused more on battle-heavy island fighting at times and as a result lacked the smooth balance of intensity that its predecessor had. Aerial battles should allow a back to basics approach which might serve as a bigger star-launcher than the last WWII mini from HBO.
Stars of Band of Brothers included Damian Lewis, Neal McDonough, Ron Livingston, Michael Fassbender, Donnie Wahlberg, James McAvoy, and even a brief appearance by Jimmy Fallon. Conversely, The Pacific featured an appearance by James Badge Dale who has upcoming supporting roles in Flight, The Lone Ranger, World War Z, and Iron Man 3.