Forget Lilo & Stitch, Apple TV+ and Jason Momoa are telling the violent story of Hawaii

Public interest in Hawai'i is never exactly low, given how gorgeous and scenic the state is, but it's also fair to say that plenty of people don't necessarily know all that much about its history. Despite the release of huge crowd-pleasers like Lilo & Stitch have done a lot for its visibility, Jason Momoa and Apple TV+ are about to tell a whole new story from its past.

Chief of War was announced a few months ago, but we've now had the show's first teaser trailer, laying out what looks like it could be something of a historical epic for fans of shows like Shogun or even Game of Thrones. It'll tell the story of the unification and colonisation of Hawai’i at the turn of the 18th century, according to Apple.

Chief of War — Official Teaser | Apple TV+ - YouTube

Watch On

The trailer is something special, too, building up to some pretty explosive moments even though it's only a minute long. We're introduced to Momoa's character, who seems to be a local chief who prefers to keep the peace rather than warring with other communities.

That policy will be tested beyond its limits, though, by the arrival of colonists who see the island as a land ripe for exploitation – and how other communities interact with those colonisers. It's clear from the closing moments of the trailer that this will bring about tension that will bubble over into all-out conflict, with Momoa taken along and unable to stem the tide.

Image 1 of 5

The battle scenes, in fact, look pretty terrifying, emphasising how physical combat used to be, and presumably underlining just how scary cannons could be in some contexts even by this point. There's every chance that Chief of War could have some of the more memorable battles that TV has thrown up recently, in fact.

Mamoa is clearly well-liked by Apple, since he's also been the star of another multi-season show for the platform, blindness sci-fi series See. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for Chief of War, since I think Apple TV+ is the best streaming service you can get right now. It doesn't start until 1 August, though, which gives time for the hype to build.