logo
Apple TV Plus drops thrilling new trailer for Jason Momoa's historical drama show — and it's giving serious 'Game of Thrones' vibes

Apple TV Plus drops thrilling new trailer for Jason Momoa's historical drama show — and it's giving serious 'Game of Thrones' vibes

Tom's Guide11-07-2025
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:
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.
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.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

David Letterman calls Paramount 'gutless' for canceling Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
David Letterman calls Paramount 'gutless' for canceling Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'

USA Today

time10 minutes ago

  • USA Today

David Letterman calls Paramount 'gutless' for canceling Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'

David Letterman, who hosted "The Late Show" from 1993 to 2015, joked that his predecessor, Stephen Colbert, is a "martyr" and questioned the motivations for canceling the CBS show. David Letterman is questioning the motivations behind the shock cancellation of his former CBS home, "The Late Show." Speaking with former "Late Night with David Letterman" colleagues Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay in a July 25 clip from "The Barbara Gaines Show" on Letterman's YouTube channel, the 78-year-old comedian did not hold back. He threw barbs at CBS parent company Paramount Global and David Ellison, who's slated to become CEO after Paramount merges with his Skydance Media in an $8.4 billion deal. "It's all very strange. It's very complicated, but it was a bit of a surprise, wasn't it?" Letterman said. As the 14-minute Zoom conversation continued, he eventually called Paramount pulling the plug on Stephen Colbert's show "pure cowardice" and "gutless." Letterman hosted the show from 1993 until 2015, at which point Colbert took over post-"Colbert Report." After Colbert announced on July 17 that "The Late Show" would be ending in May after more than 30 years, Paramount released a statement that called the move "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night." The media company also maintained: "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount." While Colbert's show is the top rated at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, it was losing a reported $40 million a year. David Letterman blasts explanation that 'Late Show' was canceled for financial reasons Letterman speculated that Paramount is capitulating to Ellison, who might not "want any trouble from that guy," referring to Colbert, long known for his political satire and criticism of President Donald Trump. "Not only are we going to get rid of that guy, we're going to get rid of the whole franchise so you don't have to worry about another guy," Letterman said in an impersonation of Paramount executives. "It's gone, buddy!" "I think it's sad, but what this indicates also is (Ellison doesn't) want any trouble along the lines of freedom of the press or free speech or freedom of expression," Letterman surmised. "They don't want to get their hands dirty; they don't want the government going after them." He also cast doubt on the explanation that the "Late Show" cancellation was "purely a financial decision." "I don't think it was money. I think it was all to make sure (Ellison was) solid spending dad's (Larry Ellison's) money," he said. "You're telling me losing this kind of money happened yesterday?" he said. "I bet they were losing this kind of money a month ago. I'll bet they were losing this kind of money six weeks ago, or they have never been losing money. "Take a look at the CBS News. It's still in business, and I'm not certain that that's a profit center," he continued. What Letterman said before: The ex-host's subtle jab at CBS amid Colbert 'Late Show' cancellation 'We've all got to kiss Stephen Colbert's ring' Letterman, who was complimentary of Colbert and the work he's done since taking over Letterman's show, went on to excoriate Paramount's treatment of its star talent. "They did not do the correct thing. They did not handle Stephen Colbert, the face of that network, in the way he deserves to have been handled," he said. Letterman went on to declare that those who decided the fate of "The Late Show" would regret the move. "One day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this are going to be embarrassed because this is gutless," Letterman said. "Now we've all got to kiss Stephen Colbert's ring now," he added, joking that he's a "martyr" for his firing.

Breaking Bad creator's new show streams on Apple TV+ November 7
Breaking Bad creator's new show streams on Apple TV+ November 7

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Breaking Bad creator's new show streams on Apple TV+ November 7

Apple has announced that Pluribus, a new science fiction drama from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, will premiere on Apple TV+ on November 7. Gilligan was confirmed to be working on the project back in 2022, when Better Call Saul's Rhea Seehorn was also announced as its primary star. Alongside the premiere date, Apple also released a short (somewhat ominous) teaser for the series that shows a hospital employee mindlessly licking donuts. Pluribus is supposed to follow "the most miserable person on Earth" (presumably Seehorn) as they "save the world from happiness," but your guess is as good as mine as to how the two tie together. Apple's penchant for backing science fiction shows has been well-documented at this point. The company is currently producing a television adaptation of William Gibson's Neuromancer, and has made three seasons and counting of Foundation, based on the novel series by Isaac Asimov. Toss in things like Severance, Murderbot, Silo and For All Mankind and you've got a pretty varied catalog of sci-fi media to choose from. Just how "science fiction" Pluribus will actually be remains up in the air. When reports went out in 2022 that Apple was ordering two seasons of the show, it was described as "a blended, grounded genre drama." Apple's premiere date announcement pitches the show as "a genre-bending original." Pluribus' nine-episode first season will premiere on November 7 with two episodes. New episodes will stream weekly after that, all the way through December 26.

There's A New Highest-Grossing Live-Action Sports Movie of All-Time
There's A New Highest-Grossing Live-Action Sports Movie of All-Time

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

There's A New Highest-Grossing Live-Action Sports Movie of All-Time

There's A New Highest-Grossing Live-Action Sports Movie of All-Time originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Along with the concept of creating original films that aren't sequels or prequels to a previous box-office hit, the era of timeless sports films seemed to have come to an end. However, with a chance to make a splash in the entertainment and sports world, Apple partnered with Formula One to produce a film starring two-time Oscar-winning actor Brad Pitt and rising star Damson Idris. Although there was skepticism regarding how well "F1 The Movie," with a reported budget of $200-$300 million, would fare, given that it is centered around a sport still growing in popularity in the States, the results speak for themselves. As shared on X by Front Office Sports on Wednesday, the movie has become the highest-grossing live-action sports movie ever. "F1 The Movie" has crossed $460 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing live-action sports movie ever," read the post. "F1 The Movie," which features not only superstars of the sport like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, among others, was filmed during nine Grand Prix weekends. It centers on Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, a former driver who is called upon by an old friend to help save his F1 team, APXGP, from being sold. It is then that Pitt's character begins to help the team, but clashes with young-gun teammate Joshua Pearce (Idris). The two are eventually forced to work together, with a chance to secure a massive victory in Abu Dhabi after both overcoming major adversity. Aside from the film being about the growing sport, Pitt and co-star Damson Idris were the ones actually driving the cars. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed to Today's Becca Wood that they trained for three months. 'Damson Idris, who's a rising young star, had to drive in these cars and train for three months, just like Brad (Pitt) did,' Bruckheimer told 'But the brutality of what you go through in these cars that are going 180 miles an hour — they have to break down to 50. They're taking 5 Gs in the corners. It is brutal.' Highest-grossing sports movie of all time In terms of where this film ranks among all-time sports movies, whether live-action or animated, it trails only Pixar's "Cars 2," which, according to FOS, grossed $559.9 million worldwide. Will there be a sequel to "F1?" At this time, there has been no confirmation on whether or not they will create a follow-up film, but many have interpreted the ending to be setting up for another possible story. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store