The British Are Coming in the 'Chief of War' Trailer
Jason Momoa in 'Chief of War'
Apple TV+
Most Western history courses treat the Americas and Oceania as if the history of those countries started when white men first set foot on them. It's only in the last 50 years or so that the centuries-old cultures that were already there have even begun to have their stories included. Thus far, the Indigenous tribes of North America and the Aboriginal tribes of Australia have received the bulk of the attention, with the Maori of New Zealand running a distant third. However, with the premiere of Apple TV+'s Chief of War, the history of the Kānaka Maoli of Hawai'i will finally get the big-budget series treatment for the first time.
The series comes from Jason Momoa, who leveraged his clout with the streaming service after three years of starring in one of Apple TV+'s original four series, See, to get it made. It's one of two period pieces that focus on non-white stories debuting in the summer of 2025 (the other is Sterling K Brown's Washington Black).
More importantly, it is groundbreaking for things that shouldn't be groundbreaking in the 21st century, but are. The series features a majority Polynesian cast with dialogue in the Hawaiian language, focusing on how the pressure of the British arrival (and that of the Americans who followed) forced various clans and tribes to put aside their differences... or be conquered by those who recognized the impending danger. It's a story that has never been given the big-budget period piece treatment before, and one look at the trailer will have you agreeing that this is long overdue.
Here is the series synopsis:
Chief of War follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawai‘I in the late 18th century. Told from an indigenous perspective, Chief of War is set amid the scenic backdrop of the islands of Hawai‘i and is based on actual events. It follows warrior Ka‘iana, as he tries to unify the islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century.
Momoa stars alongside a predominantly Polynesian cast, including Luciane Buchanan (Under the Vines), Temuera Morrison (Star Wars), Cliff Curtis (Kaos), Te Kohe Tuhaka (The Brokenwood Mysteries), Brandon Finn (Inheritance), James Udom (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Moses Goods (Inhumans), Siua Ikale‘o (Nemesis), Te Ao o Hinepehinga (Breakwater), Mainei Kinimaka (The Last Manhunt), Benjamin Hoetjes (The Doctor Blake Mysteries), and newcomer Kaina Makua.
The series is a passion project for creators Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, who both share native Hawaiian heritage. Writer and showrunner Doug Jung penned the bulk of the episodes. Momoa also directs alongside Justin Chon, who helmed the first two episodes, and Hans Zimmer did the score. Jung, Sibbett, and Momoa executive produce with Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Tracey Cook & Brian Andrew Mendoza for Chernin Entertainment; and Anders Engström, Jim Rowe, Molly Allen, Francis Lawrence & Tim Van Patten for Fifth Season.
Chief of War debuts with two episodes on Friday, August 1, followed by new episodes every Friday through mid-September.
