After teasing fans back in May, the first official trailer has finally been released. Recently, Apple TV+ has unveiled the first trailer for its upcoming historical drama “Chief of War”, starring, written by and executive produced by Jason Momoa.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Hawaiian islands, the nine-episode series—based on true events—follows warrior Ka‘iana, portrayed by Momoa, as he fights to unify the islands ahead of Western colonisation in the late 18th century. Chief of War will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes dropping on Friday, 1st August 2025, followed by new episodes every Friday through to 19th September.
Told from an Indigenous perspective, Chief of War is a passion project for creators Momoa and Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, who both share Native Hawaiian heritage. The series features a predominantly Polynesian cast, led by Momoa alongside Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, newcomer Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale‘o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka, Te Kohe Tuhaka and Benjamin Hoetjes.
The series is produced for Apple TV+ by FIFTH SEASON and Chernin Entertainment. Momoa directs the season finale and serves as executive producer, with Doug Jung acting as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Tracey Cook and Brian Andrew Mendoza. Justin Chon directs the first two episodes and also serves as executive producer.
Other executive producers include Anders Engström, Jim Rowe, Molly Allen, Francis Lawrence and Tim Van Patten. The original score for the series was composed by Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, who wrote the theme music and co-produced the score for all nine episodes alongside composer James Everingham. The score was created during Zimmer’s tenure with Bleeding Fingers Music, the Emmy Award-winning and BAFTA-nominated composer collective he co-founded in 2013.
