Jason Momoa in a scene from Apple TV+ series Chief of War. The first two episodes premiere Aug. 1, with new episodes available every Friday through Sept. 19.Nicola Dove/The Associated Press
In the ever heated battle for viewers’ attention, you could ask for no better draw than a nearly naked Jason Momoa fighting a shark with his bare hands. Or at least such is the eye-popping sight the producers of the new Apple TV+ series Chief of War have decided to use to open their new limited series, which follows the legendary Hawaiian warrior Ka’iana as he struggles to unify the islands at the turn of the 18th century. Yet the Momoa vs. shark face-off is far from the most ambitious moment across the production’s nine hour-long episodes.
The Honolulu-born star’s previous small-screen epics have ranged from his roles as a Dothraki commander in Game of Thrones to a ruthless Canadian outlaw in Frontier to a post-apocalyptic warrior in See. Ahead of Chief of War’s premiere Aug. 1, Momoa spoke with The Globe and Mail about balancing the authentic with the awesome.
Can we start off by talking about the shark battle? I don’t think any reasonable interviewer could ignore it …
It’s pretty cool, dude. Listen, it’s one of the most shocking things that we read when we were researching this. The truth of it is, Hawaiians, they would ride the sharks like they were horses. So yeah, they would fight sharks, they’d use sharks for weapons, they’d use them for food, they’d use them as pets. But they are also their guardians. The respect they had for the creatures was legendary.
As you’re learning about the history of the land from the 18th century, is there anything else that surprised you?
I mean, I didn’t know the story of Ka’iana. I knew about our great kings and that stuff, but not him. To my producing partner Thomas [Pa’a Sibbett], we were racking our heads going, well now how are we ever going to forget it? To us, this is a beautiful story within that time period, following a Hawaiian who travelled the world. That journey – coming from a beautiful place, then going through poverty, going through the Opium Wars, slavery and then coming back to his land – it’s a wonderful character to play. I was like, bro, we’re making this story.
The way the series uses language feels crucial, with the nearly all-Polynesian cast speaking the indigenous Olelo Hawai’i language throughout the show. I kept waiting for the Hunt for Red October moment in which the cast switches over to English, but it never arrives.
Brother, that was the deal-breaker for us. We wouldn’t have been able to go home if we did this in English. Like, we can’t. But having said that, it needs to evolve, too. Some characters would learn English, like Ka’iana, as any chief of war would. You have to know the enemy’s language.
Was there any skepticism or reticence on the part of Apple about going that route?
They were really behind the idea that audiences love having subtitles, and I think that Apple is ahead of the curve there. Obviously, it needed to be a little bit of both. Some characters completely speak Olelo Hawai’i, and some don’t. But I’m excited that Apple backed us up. The people there are the ones who are helping us tell this story to the world.
How has your relationship with Apple evolved since your work with them on See, which was one of the streamer’s first really big productions?
That’s how I got to this point, because I’ve been there since the beginning. We did three seasons of See, so the proof was in the pudding. And then I was able to direct some of this, too, to make it my Dancing with Wolves, my Braveheart. I wasn’t going to get another shot at that with a project that would have this much impact. It’s a hefty budget, but because of where my career is now, after Aquaman and Minecraft, it’s perfect timing to be able to pull something like this off.
Before we go, I have to ask about your work in another huge franchise endeavour, the Fast & Furious films. Vin Diesel came out a week ago and made the surprise announcement to a crowd of fans that the next one is coming in 2027. Do you have any update on that from your end?
I’ve been waiting, we’re all waiting for the call. I’m ready to tear it up as Dante again, so I got my own ideas. I’m just waiting for the call.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
The first two episodes of Chief of War premiere Aug. 1 on Apple TV+, with new episodes available every Friday through Sept. 19.
