Jason Momoa Reflects on ‘Nostalgic’ Childhood Moments Filming ‘Chief of War’ in Home State (Exclusive) originally appeared on Parade.
Across his storied career, Jason Momoa has gone to the dry plains of Westeros, underwater to Atlantis and, most recently, into the world of Minecraft. But he’s heading back home to Hawai’i for his newest project, Chief of War.
In the Apple TV+ series, premiering Aug. 1, the Aquaman star plays Kaʻiana, a real-life warrior chief at the turn of the 19th century and regarded as the most famous Hawaiian in the world. With the four major Hawaiian kingdoms at each other’s throats, Ka’iana joins a rebellion against the unification of Hawai’i under the rule of King Kamehameha I. It’s a story of obvious great significance to Momoa, who was born in Honolulu, and also serves as creator and executive producer for the series.
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“There were moments where, as a little boy, you look at these awesome paintings, because a lot of these images that we saw as kids,” Momoa tells Parade in an exclusive interview. “I mean, that’s all we had were books and paintings. And to actually direct and be a part of the whole thing, just composing these paintings and watching them come to life and putting music to them and seeing these images, I know what I went through when I made them. I know what I went through when we edited it.”
When Parade spoke with Momoa, he was about to attend the premiere screening of Chief of War in Oahu. And the event is a homecoming in more ways than one for him, a coming together of not only his childhood family and friends, but also the new family he created through his intimate work on the series.
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“I don’t think there’s anything that could even come close to what’s going to happen in the next 24 hours,” he says. “I mean, the premiere here with our whole family, with everyone that made it possible. With people I’ve worked with since I was 19. The crews and cast, to have such a huge involvement in it to the point where your best friends. You made it with your best friends, with a company that’s been behind you for the last five or six years. All this is built up to this moment. I can’t think there could possibly be anything bigger in this life for me, as a film or TV [show] that I’ll ever make. It’s pretty impactful.”
“Everybody really came and brought the best,” adds co-creator and writer Thomas Paʻa Sibbett about the cast, which includes Temuera Morrison and Luciane Buchanan. “And that’s why we asked them to come, because we knew that they had it in them. And when they had a chance to represent these people, they did their homework. They worked on their language. And I think people are going to be surprised at how well everybody did here.”
Chief of War aims to break ground in TV, shedding light on a bloody and complicated history that people might not know about America’s 50th state. Momoa is eagerly awaiting the series to go live on Aug. 1, and has said in interviews that he has plans for a second and third season should Apple greenlight them. But, for now, what matters to him most are the reactions from those who have taught him what it means to be Hawaiin.
“I’m gonna see it on my father’s face,” he says. “I’m gonna see on my children’s face. It’s as powerful as it gets. It’s crazy to think that we have all these different stories, yet we’ve never seen anything on this level. It’s gonna be huge.”
Related: Everything to Know About Jason Momoa’s New TV Show ‘Chief of War’
Jason Momoa Reflects on ‘Nostalgic’ Childhood Moments Filming ‘Chief of War’ in Home State (Exclusive) first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
