Move over Moana, Jason Momoa is here to depict the history of Hawai’i with the Apple TV Plus series Chief of War, a nine-episode historical drama about the unification and colonization of Hawai’i, based on true events.
Not only is Momoa leading the series on camera, but he is co-creator and co-writer for the series, serves as an executive producer and directed the season finale. That should give you a hint as to how big a passion project Chief of War is for Momoa, who has native Hawaiian heritage.
To get all the info you need to know about Chief of War, continue reading below.
Chief of War next episode
Chief of War episode 3 is now streaming on Apple TV Plus.
New episodes premiere every Friday. With nine episodes in total, that will have the season finale premiering on September 19.
In order to watch Chief of War, you must have an Apple TV Plus subscription.
Chief of War cast
Did we mention that Jason Momoa was starring in this show? All jokes aside, the Dune, A Minecraft Movie and See star leads a predominantly Polynesian cast that consists of a number of recognizable actors and a slate of newcomers as well.
Among the known stars are Luciane Buchanan (The Night Agent), Temuera Morrison (The Book of Boba Fett) and Cliff Curtis (Last Breath). The rest of the cast includes Te Ao o Hinepehinga (Breakwater), Moses Goods (Rescue: HI-Surf), Siua Ikale’o (NCIS: Hawai’i), Brandon Finn (FBI: International), James Udom (Accused), Mainei Kinimaka (See), Te Kohe Tuhaka (My Life is Murder) and Kaina Makua, who makes their acting debut in the series.
Chief of War plot
Momoa co-created and wrote Chief of War with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, with Doug Jung as the series’ showrunner. Here is the official synopsis for the series:
“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 a passion project for creators Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, who both share native Hawaiian heritage.”
Chief of War recaps
Here are the synopses for the Chief of War episodes, as well as links to our in-depth recaps:
Chief of War episode 1, "The Chief of War"
"Kaʻiana is summoned back home to Maui where he must decide whether to join King Kahekili in war." Read WTW's Chief of War episode 1 recap.
Chief of War episode 2, "Changing Tides"
"Fearing for their lives, Kaʻiana and his family flee Oahu. An ally emerges with a promise of safe passage." Read WTW's Chief of War episode 2 recap.
Chief of War episode 3, "City of Flowers"
"Kaʻiana arrives in a strange land. Kaʻahumanu takes her place beside Kamehameha." Read WTW's Chief of War episode 3 recap.
Chief of War trailer
Watch the official Chief of War trailer directly below:
Chief of War behind the scenes
Fifth Season and Chernin Entertainment are two production companies behind the series.
There are four directors currently listed for the series. In addition to Momoa, they are Justin Chon, Anders Engström and Brian Andrew Mendoza.
Another notable behind-the-scenes contributor is Hans Zimmer, who wrote the Chief of War theme song and co-produced the score for all nine episodes with James Everingham.
