From Hawai‘i to the World: Chief of War’s Cultural Journey
Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and Jason Momoa’s Chief of War television series has wrapped its first season on Apple TV. Filmed across both Aotearoa and Hawai’i, the production brought together a diverse cast of Pacific actors including Lucienne Brannigan, Temuera Morrison and Mainei Kinimaka. The series explores Kanaka Maoli culture before the arrival of Europeans.
Lucienne Brannigan as Ka’ahumanu in Chief of War.
Kanaka Maoli voices in Aotearoa and across online communities have shared how meaningful it is to see the stories of their kupuna told in a modern format that younger generations can connect with.
For Sibbett and Momoa, Chief of War has been a long journey. Years of commitment, resources and persistence went into bringing the project to life.
According to IMDB, the series carried a staggering budget of US$340 million (NZ$385 million). With nine episodes in its debut season, that works out at around US$37.8 million per episode, making it Apple Television’s most expensive production to date.
The critical reception has been strong, with a 93 score from reviewers and 83 from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Combined with the support voiced by Kanaka Maoli and other Pacific communities, a second season seems highly likely.
The inclusion of notable Māori actors and the familiar landscapes of Tāmaki Makaurau tie Te Ao Māori directly back to Hawai’i and the wider Pacific.
As Sibbett explained in an interview with E-Tangata:
“We were presented with the option of filming in Thailand, the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico. Visually, those places could pass for Hawai‘i. But culturally, they cannot. For us to tell our story, if we couldn’t do it in Hawai‘i, there was only one place we could go, and that was Aotearoa. Because we have a lineage connection. There’s a shorthand between us, so that when we’re trying to tell our story, they would be able to shoulder that responsibility and support us in the way that we need it.”
Momoa has often spoken of his love for Māori and Aotearoa, something reflected in the partnership with the NZ Film Commission and Screen Auckland who helped give Māori and Pasifika actors and film crews in Aotearoa an oppotunity to get involved with this project.
For many Kanaka Maoli, Chief of War is more than just representation. It speaks directly to the modern context of Hawai’i’s illegal occupation by the United States since the late 1800s. By focusing on real historical figures such as Ka’iana and Kamehameha I, the show presents Indigenous culture on its own terms rather than the tired stereotypes of hula and tourist imagery.
This shift sits within a wider movement. Just as Tina highlighted Samoan culture, and Red, White and Brass gave Tongan stories space on the big screen, Chief of War opens a new chapter for Hawaiian narratives. Pacific audiences are watching closely for what comes next.