Jason Momoa is set to star in, write, and executive produce new Apple TV Plus limited series Chief of War. Deadline is reporting that the Aquaman star’s show has been given a straight-to-series order, with Blue Bayou director Justin Chon in negotiations to direct the opening two episodes.
Chief of War will consist of eight episodes and is billed as “an epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawai’i from an indigenous point of view”.
This project will be his first time writing for TV and is clearly a labor of love for Momoa, who has consistently referenced his Hawaiian and Polynesian roots throughout his career. The actor was born in Honolulu, though at six months old moved to his mother’s hometown of Norwalk, Iowa. However, he returned to the island to study at the University of Hawai’i and has never been far since.
In a 2019 interview with CNN he went into what Hawaiian culture means to him, saying “it’s my home. I’m Hawaiian. It’s my nationality.” He also expanded on his family’s connection to the island, saying:
The Momoa lineage goes back nine generations in Hawai’i but we actually found out we came from Aotearoa—which means we left Hawai’i, went down to Aotearoa and then back. That’s my line.
Momoa is also politically active in Hawai’i, leading a campaign to conserve the land around the dormant volcano Mauna Kea and educating people on the history of the land. In comments that likely tease what’s coming in Chief of War, he said in 2019 that:
There’s a lot of things that have happened in our history, a lot of injustice, and so we’re shining a light on it. People like myself or Dwayne Johnson, Bruno Mars, trying to spread the awareness all around the world.
Apple TV Plus seems very enthusiastic about Chief of War and has a great relationship with Momoa due to the success of his sci-fi show See. As such, expect this to be fast-tracked through production. Let’s hope we hear more soon.