US EditionWhat's New on Apple TV+ in August 2025: 'Chief of War' with Jason Momoa and More
HAWAII, UNITED STATES, AUG 1 – The series features a primarily Polynesian cast speaking mostly Hawaiian and highlights the unification of Hawaiian kingdoms through indigenous perspectives and cultural authenticity.
- Chief of War, a historical drama led by Jason Momoa, premieres on Apple TV+ August 1, depicting late 18th-century Hawaiian kingdoms' conflicts.
- The series arose to tell Hawaii’s unification story from an Indigenous perspective, focusing on prophecy, colonial threats, and political strife among island kingdoms.
- Filmed primarily in Hawaii and New Zealand, the show features a mostly Polynesian cast speaking Hawaiian, with Momoa’s Ka'iana caught between tradition and warfare.
- Reviews praise its cultural authenticity and action scenes while noting writing flaws and ethical debates filling much of its nine-hour runtime, with Momoa commanding key moments.
- Chief of War expands Hawaiian representation on screen, invites wider audiences to the islands’ history, and suggests the high cost of unification amid emerging colonial dangers.
53 Articles
53 Articles
Review: Momoa’s ‘Chief of War’ mixes Hawaiian history with Hollywood flair | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Nearly everything written about “Chief of War” — the new series set in 18th-century Hawaii for which Honolulu-born Jason Momoa was a creator, writer, director and star — has referred to the show as a passion project. And for about four minutes, at the show’s beginning, it feels like one.
"Chief of War" is "Game of Thrones" in Hawaii, cheered first reviews of the history series by and with Jason Momoa. The comparison is obvious and nevertheless too short.
The True Story Behind Hawaiian History Epic 'Chief of War'
Jason Momoa stands on a double-hulled canoe, steady as the Pacific Ocean heaves beneath him. His hair is bound in a taut knot, a cape of ti leaves in muted green draped over his broad shoulders. The camera catches light as it splinters across the cresting waves. In one fluid motion, he dives, vanishing beneath the glittering surface. The quiet ruptures into struggle as his character Ka‘iana, a revered Hawaiian chief, lassoes a shark—man and pred…
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