When witnessing the savage splendor of Apple TV+’s historical epic, Chief of War, there is not any must ponder why it’s taken so lengthy for the late 18th century story of King Kamehameha I and his unification of the Hawaiian Islands to be depicted in a TV present, merely sit again and relish the compelling magic of this $340 million spectacle, which airs its season finale this Friday on September 19, 2025.
Created, government produced, and co-written by Hawaii-born worldwide movie star Jason Momoa (Video games of Thrones, Justice League, Dune) and advised by way of an genuine indigenous lens, this gorgeous paradise-set saga depicts the exploits of real-life Kauaʻi chieftain Ka’iana.
The noble warrior played a pivotal role in trying to aid Kamehameha I to bring the Hawaiian kingdom together under one wise ruler. But the ensuing battle between four feuding island tribes was not without considerable bloodshed and the ever-present specter of European colonization.
It took us a yr to put in writing the entire thing.
Jason Momoa
“That is about as massive because it will get for me,” Momoa tells TechRadar on how this venture got here to mild. “For me personally, I simply assume my profession wanted to be in the fitting place as a result of it’s such an epic story that I don’t assume anybody would have invested in me and made one thing of this measurement. It bought greenlit off of a pitch and a telephone name whereas I used to be engaged on Dune, the primary one.”
Momoa conceived and wrote Chief of Warfare with Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom screenwriter Thomas Paʻa Sibbett and collectively they endeavored to ship an in depth and reasonable account of how Hawaii struggled to retain traditions in an more and more modernized world closing in on them.
“It took us a yr to put in writing the entire thing,” he notes. “It was the fitting time, the fitting place, the fitting individual, the place I used to be in my profession and discovering our Kamehameha. I don’t assume anybody might have accomplished it like Kaina Makua.
“I’m pleased the way it unfolded. If it had been earlier, it will have been dealt with fully completely different. There would have been much more individuals in cost and having the ability to shield our tradition and be established in our tradition and meet the fitting individuals. For no matter it’s and the way it was chosen and no matter gods made it occur, I’m very grateful that it did. It’s within the excellent place on the proper time.”
I’m actually all for individuals to see episodes 8 and 9.
Jason Momoa
For the favored magnetic actor, Chief of Warfare and its extraordinary manufacturing is a homecoming of types for the portion that was shot within the Hawaiian Islands.
“There’s individuals on this manufacturing that I’ve been with since I used to be 19. People who I labored with on Baywatch Hawaii that have been forged members. That was my begin of appearing and I fell in love, however the make-up artists and grips and other people in Hawaii that I’ve labored with for the reason that starting, we’ve come thus far they usually’re simply so proud to see me come again and make one thing like this and convey it house. It’s actually the most effective of the most effective of individuals I’ve labored with, attending to be one of many creators, to co-write it, to direct, and have a reasonably large say in numerous the stuff.
“On the finish of the day I like being accountable. Generally whenever you’re an actor you do your job and also you go house and you probably did the most effective you possibly can and it’ll end up the best way it does as a result of there’s so many different individuals. Having a say, I’d moderately be judged that means and put your coronary heart into it. I’m actually all for individuals to see episodes 8 and 9. The forged is insane. I’m so pleased with them.”
The transportive 9-episode sequence filmed largely in New Zealand additionally stars Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Items, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka, and Te Kohe Tuhaka.
“This native language, Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, there was solely a small proportion of the forged that really speaks it fluently. It’s very difficult and everybody was simply embracing it and studying it. I believe I used to be the shittiest one on the present.”
In his fierce and nuanced portrayal of Ka’iana, one of many first Hawaiians to journey overseas and return to his native soil, Jason Momoa drew from a number of sources and sometimes struggled with understanding his motivations as historic occasions erupted.
The authenticity of this complete factor was on the forefront for Apple, not only for Thomas and I, however for everybody.
“The authenticity of this complete factor was on the forefront for Apple, not only for Thomas and I, however for everybody,” he reveals. “For us, we’re not going again house. If we don’t get this proper, we don’t get to return house. That is our life.
“We introduced on numerous advisors and have been actually with our group. We dug as a lot as we will for Ka’iana, I first came upon about him by Thomas, as a result of he’s a graduate in Hawaiian research. However there’s numerous lacking moments and also you’ll see these all through the entire piece. There’s numerous issues the place as an actor I’m attempting to fill the gaps and there are issues I didn’t essentially agree with.
“You need to actually sympathize and ship your creativeness to the place he was at. What gossip was being mentioned about him? His spouse stayed and he left. Leaving Hawaii and seeing the world for the primary time and seeing how individuals are handled. He’s tainted by that world and to return again and cope with speak about gods. There are not any gods on the market. They do not know what’s coming.”
This bold artistic enterprise needed to be probably the most bodily and mentally demanding venture Momoa has undertaken in his profession thus far, and he’s emerged from the gratifying expertise with renewed vigor for the filmmaking course of, fight prowess, and his craft.
“There’s many males like Ali’i Minor who guided me by the Lua, our combating fashion,” Momoa recollects. “That’s one thing that they don’t educate and it’s a must to be invited into. I really feel like there’s numerous savage stuff that I realized and that is all earlier than any metallic got here to the islands,” Momoa says.
“What a enjoyable factor to discover. This finish battle scene on the lava discipline is intense. That’s the primary time any gun was introduced there. That warrior fashion of breaking or dislocating arms and the tearing and ripping of muscle, is fairly unbelievable.
“To summon your ancestors and get your self into this frame of mind, once I’d watch them, you possibly can’t crash course a lifetime of studying that. Once you truly get to see Temuera [Morrison] do this it’s one thing lovely. He’s a tremendous man.”
Chief of Warfare expenses into its season finale on Apple TV+ on September 19, 2025.
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