'Brutal' Apple TV+ series is the most 'eye-opening' historical drama of the year

Streamers won't watch a more thrilling or eye-opening historical drama this year than this captivating series premiering today on Apple TV+.

A passion project that's been 10 years in the making, this immersive, action-packed epic brings to life an overlooked period of history with stunning detail and rich characters.

This nine-part series promises to reward fans who can withstand its brutal violence, challenging themes and subtitled dialogue with a masterpiece tale of war, betrayal and discovery.

Executive produced, co-written by and starring Game of Thrones legend Jason Momoa, Chief of War is the next Apple TV+ series that absolutely deserves your attention after hits such as Severance and Slow Horses.

Momoa portrays the real-life warrior Kaiana, whose rebellion during the turn of the 19th Century played a key role in forging the Hawaii we know today.

Express Online recently got the chance to talk to Momoa's co-star Te Kohe Tuhaka, who portrays Kaiana's brother Namake, another real-life figure who was instrumental to the conflict.

"I was fortunate enough to read a very early script of the first ep, and I was hooked straight away," he recalled.

"When we think about Hawaiian culture and their own indigenous stories, taking such large-scale stories of history and then matching it by putting it on such a large production scale, that impressed me the most.

"There was no real stone unturned," he added. "With the language, us, the cast, got so much support around learning the language and having a great understanding. Then you look at the beautiful costuming.

"Everything was there feeding into the story, but matching the scale of the story to the scale of the production, that's what really impressed me the most."

Featuring a majority Polynesian cast, not only was the series filmed in both New Zealand and Hawaii with period-accurate costumes, Mamoa and his co-stars all speak in the authentic 'lelo Hawai'i language.

Co-created by Thomas Paa Sibbett, Chief of War also doesn't shy away from depicting the horrific violence at the centre of the war, from both the Hawaiian natives and Western colonisers.

When asked what he thinks viewers' biggest takeaway from the series will be, Tuhaka said: "I think the brutality, the brutal nature of how things were during this period.

"In many, many ways we can call it black and white, cause and effect. Those who do know about Hawaiian culture and the stories, you would know that there was a brutality that existed in the unification of something.

"So, to see the brutality of it and not have it be tainted in any way, and there's an earnestness, an honest nature to the brutality of Chief of War and these stories, so I think that's going to surprise a lot of people."

Despite the grisly nature of some of the show's scenes, the actor is still optimistic it will be inspiring for younger viewers, especially those with a link to Hawaii.

"It's beautiful," he said. "The biggest part from that process for me is being a part of something that is going to change the worldly view of young Hawaiian kids, seeing their own stories and being able to have some indigenous superheroes."

Two episodes of the series are now streaming, with more gripping installments to come every Friday into September.

Chief of War continues Fridays on Apple TV+.