It's easy to call any historical action movie "X's answer to Game of Thrones" but I think Apple TV Plus' new epic really does deserve that title, and the streamer has provided us an exciting update on the project.
We've known about Chief of War for a while now, and I even compared a Netflix show to it in February, but Apple has been quiet on it... until now, by sharing a first-look image of the series and also sharing its plotline and a release date.
Now, we know when we can see Chief of War, as Apple TV Plus has pencilled in a premiere date of Friday, August 1 for the series. Two episodes will land then, with a weekly rollout afterwards in true Apple style.
Apple has also shared a look at the show, which you can see above, and has also provided a long cast list. These includes a fair share of newcomers as well as Star Wars' Temuera Morrison, The Night Agent's Luciane Bucnahan and Training Day, The Meg and Fear the Walking Dead's Cliff Curtis.
For those of you who haven't heard of it, Chief of War is a historical epic co-created by Hollywood actor Jason Momoa, set in 18th-century Hawai'i. It follows the real warrior Ka'iana, who fights to unify the disparate island nations and prepare them for a wave of American colonizers looking to take over the land.
So you've got a historical conflict, multiple battling nations and an overarching invasion threatening them. Remind you of Westeros yet? Unlike many other Game of Thrones imitators that offer lots of drama or intrigue but little action or scale, the real history of Hawai'i (and Ka'iana in particular) sets itself up perfectly for GoT-style expanse (though don't read up on the history unless you want to risk Chief of War spoilers!).
Chief of War is described as a "passion project" for Momoa as well as co-creator Thomas Pa'a Sibbett (who's known for producing and co-writing some of Momoa's past movies, including the Aquaman sequel). While Momoa is mostly known for his blockbuster movies, most recently A Minecraft Movie, he's also credited with several behind-the-scenes roles, including directing the 2014 thriller Road to Paloma, co-writing the story of The Last Manhunt and also directing the final episode of Chief of War itself.
Apple TV Plus has a burgeoning list of historical shows; while most are set in the 20th century, it also has the likes of The Buccaneers, Manhunt and Dickinson, all set in the 1800s and Franklin, also set in the 18th century. None of them are epics like Chief of War, but they'll still appeal to history fans; here's how to get Apple TV Plus free trials if you haven't checked any of them out yet.
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