Chief Of War - Cast, Plot, Episodes And More Details
Following Apple TV+'s post-apocalyptic drama series "See," Jason Momoa is getting ready for his next major project with the streamer. The "Aquaman" actor co-creates, writes, and stars in "Chief of War," a historical drama series that has received an eight-episode straight-to-series order. The project marks the DCEU star's first writing venture on television.
"Chief of War" reunites Momoa with his former "Aquaman" colleague Temuera Morrison, and filming has been completed for the same. Here's all we know about "Chief of War" so far.
When does Chief of War premiere?
We don't yet have a firm premiere date for "Chief of War" on Apple TV+. However, we do know plenty about the production timeline, and it's enough to give us hope that it won't belong before we get some news.
Ahead of the first day of filming on November 21, 2022, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) offered Momoa and his team a pule, which is a prayer or blessing (via Ulukau.org, the Hawaiian Electronic Library). Momoa is seen in the photo alongside Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, an indigenous Hawaiian activist, filmmaker, and teacher of Kanaka Maoli philosophy, who is known for being a prominent CNHA Cultural ambassador.
On July 5, 2023, Momoa marked the end of principal photography on "Chief of War" with an Instagram post featuring video and photos from the wrap party. Afterwards, the star's social media presence pivoted mostly to coverage of the wildfires that hit the island of Maui the following month.
What is Chief of War about?
As per the description shared by Variety, "Chief of War" focuses on a time of history that "follows the story of the unification and colonization of Hawaii" and focuses on the subject matter from an indigenous point of view. The project appears to have been birthed from Momoa's personal passions; the actor has always shown his love and appreciation for his Hawaiian heritage — Momoa's father is of native Hawaiian and Samoan descent, while his mother has Pawnee ancestry.
Judging from the show's description, the series might take us back to the time between 1795 and 1810 when leader Kamehameha I united the Hawaiian islands into one royal kingdom after many years of conflict. Momoa plays the war chieftain Ka'iana, who travels to the "outside world and learns more about the men invading his island home. Knowing the separate kingdoms will eventually crumble under the weight of foreign interests, he returns home and joins a bloody campaign to unite the warring islands in order to save them from destruction," the show's plot summary describes on an open casting call.
Who's in the cast of Chief of War?
Along with writing and serving as executive producer on "Chief of War," Jason Momoa will also star in the show as the real-life warrior Ka'iana. Another star joining the Apple TV+ series is Temuera Morrison, who is slated to portray King Kahekili, the King of Maui. The real-life figure is remembered as a noted warrior chief who nearly destroyed his own country. Morrison's other credits include the "Aquaman" films, where he plays Thomas Curry, Momoa's on-screen father. Morrison is best known for headlining the Disney+ television series "The Book of Boba Fett," which is set in the "Star Wars" universe. Previously, he appeared in "The Mandalorian," "Once Were Warriors," and "Moana," among other projects.
Other cast members include New Zealand actress Luciane Buchanan who plays Kaʻahumanu, queen consort to Kamehameha. There's also Te Ao o Hinepehinga ("Breakwater") as Momoa's on-screen wife Kupuohi, Kaina Makua who portrays the prophesied King Kamehameha, Moses Goods ("NCIS: Hawai'i") who plays Moku, Chief Advisor to Kamehameha of Hawai'i, and Siua Ikale'o plays Nahi, Momoa's youngest brother. Brandon Finn ("Three Women") is cast as Prince Kūpule, Morrison's on-screen son, James Udom ("The Sandman") plays Tony, while Mainei Kinimaka ("See") plays Heke, and Te Kohe Tuhaka ("The Convert") portrays the elite warrior Namake. In February 2023, Variety reported that Cliff Curtis joined the cast as Keōua, Kamehameha's cousin.
The crew behind Chief of War
Doug Jung will serve as showrunner for "Chief of War" — you may not know his name, but you've certainly heard of some of his work. The American screenwriter is known for writing the screenplay of the 2016 film "Star Trek Beyond," and he's also earned credits on high-profile dramas like "Big Love," "Dark Blue," and "Banshee."
Joining Momoa as co-creator is screenwriter Thomas Pa'a Sibbett; the duo previously collaborated on the story for the action-adventure film "The Last Manhunt." Momoa also starred in the 2018 action-thriller movie "Braven" which was co-written by Pa'a Sibbett. The list of executive producers includes Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and showrunner Jung. Justin Chon has been roped in to direct the series' first two episodes, and executive produce them.