After a long wait, Jason Momoa's first look from his upcoming historical epic series Chief of War has been unveiled by Apple TV+. Apart from starring in the lead role, the actor has also co-created and written the drama series.
Chief of War is based on true events and is set in Hawai'i. According to the makers, the nine-episode series "follows warrior Ka’iana, portrayed by Momoa, as he tries to unify the islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century."
Along with Momoa, the series also features a majority of Polynesian cast members. Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka and Te Kohe Tuhaka are part of the cast.
Thomas Pa’a Sibbett also serves as the co-creator along with Momoa who have native Hawaiian ancestry. Originally announced in 2022, Chief of War marks Momoa's second time working for the streaming platform after the post-apocalyptic series See which ran for three seasons and concluded in 2022.
The series will also mark Momoa's television writing debut. Momoa and Pa’a Sibbett are executive producers. Doug Jung serves as the showrunner as well as executive producer along with Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Tracey Cook, Brian Mendoza, Anders Engstrom, Jim Rowe, Molly Allen, Francis Lawrence, and Tim Van Patten. The first two episodes of the series will be directed by Justin Chon (Pachinko) who is also an executive producer. Momoa directs the season finale.
The first two episodes of Chief of War will premiere on Apple TV+ on August 1, with new episodes every Friday till September 19.