‘Brothers’ team going back to war

Tom Hanks and his producing partner, Gary Goetzman -- whose “Band of Brothers” followed the World War II European campaign through the eyes of a company of soldiers -- will re-team with director Steven Spielberg to create a 10-part miniseries about U.S. battles against the Japanese in the Pacific during that period, the Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety reported Monday.

Like the 2001 outing (which won six Emmys), it will air on HBO. DreamWorks is finalizing a deal in which the network will serve as a partner in the undertaking, which is expected to cost more than $100 million. Screenwriter Bruce McKenna, who won a Writers Guild of America award for his work on “Brothers,” is expected to be the lead writer on the series, which is not based on any source material.

“Untitled World War II Pacific Theater Project,” as it is called, will be the fourth HBO miniseries for the Playtone duo, who also produced 1998’s “From the Earth to the Moon.” Before plunging into their latest venture, Hanks and Goetzman will tackle a 13-part series about the American Revolution based on David McCullough’s book, “John Adams.”

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-- Elaine Dutka