Apple TV Plus' "Chief of War" has been on my radar for a little while now, and every clip I've seen from the show only has me wanting to watch it more.
Clearly, I'm not alone on this particular hype train, either. The streaming service dropped a full trailer for Jason Momoa's new, based-on-true-events historical drama less than 24 hours ago, and it's already racked up over 2 million views on YouTube, at the time of writing.
If you've seen the new footage already, you'll know why it's doing that well: it makes "Chief of War" look like an utterly captivating watch. If not, you can see it below:
Chief of War — Official Trailer | Apple TV+ - YouTube
Within this 3-minute clip, we're invited to "witness the rise of the kingdom of Hawai'i," and on the strength of what's here, I am ready to heed the call.
Throughout, we see brutal battles, stunning scenery and plenty of drama. We meet our ensemble, and hear their fears, and hear plenty of talk of war and the stakes are set. Momoa even flexes his Aquaman muscles a little, hitching a ride on a shark.
The feeling I'm getting is that "Chief of War" is going to be a must-watch for fans of shows like "Game of Thrones" or "Shōgun." Having loved both shows myself, you can bet I'll be seated when this epic new tale hits the Apple streamer this summer.
What else do we know about 'Chief of War' on Apple TV Plus?
If you're not up to speed on the Apple TV Plus series yet, "Chief of War" is an epic new show about the unification and colonisation of Hawai'i, told from an indigenous perspective and based on true events.
Across nine episodes, "Chief of War" follows Native Hawaiian warrior and noble, Ka'iana (Momoa). Ka'iana sets out to unify the islands before Western colonisation at the turn of the 18th century.
The cast is predominantly Polynesian; along with Momoa, "Chief of War" also features Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale'o, Brand Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka, Te Kohe Tuhaka, and Benjamin Hoetjes
Apple bills it as a "passion project" series for co-creators Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett, and it was written and exec-produced by Momoa, who also directs the series finale. Oh, and did I mention it features theme music written by the prolific film composer, Hans Zimmer?
The series will receive a two-episode premiere on Friday, August 1, with new episodes dropping every week, through to the series finale on September 19.
If you're looking for something to stream in the meantime, check out our guide to the best Apple TV Plus shows for plenty more streaming recommendations to help build out your watchlist.