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According to a 2023 Men’s Health profile, Jason Momoa has wanted to make his historical Hawaiian epic series for years, describing the project as his “holy grail.” Now, the dream is finally co*ing to fruition with the reveal of the Chief Of War first look from Apple TV+. The new series, which is based on true events, premieres on the streamer August 1. 

The Chief Of War first look (below) gives us a glimpse of Ka’iana (Momoa), the warrior chief attempting to unify the islands ahead of the encroaching threat of outside invasion. “Performed by a predominantly Polynesian cast led by Momoa, Chief Of War follows the epic and unprecedented telling of the unification and colonization of Hawai’i at the turn of the 18th century,” according to the Apple synopsis. 

Momoa serves as star, executive producer, and director of the show (he helmed the season finale, as he described to Men’s Health: “We shot it all at dusk and at night with four units. It’s crazy to think that two volcanoes went off while we shot a story about two volcanoes going off. Wow! It’s probably the highlight of my career.”) He also helped write the series, which he co-created alongside Thomas Pa’a Sibbett. “It’s like my Braveheart or Dances With Wolves,” he told Men’s Health. “I never thought it would be this big. It’s the hardest, most challenging, most demanding thing I’ve ever done. It’s the last big dream I have left. Everything else is just kind of ‘actor for hire,’ but this is my homage to my people. We have so many beautiful stories in Hawaii that no one knows about. All I care about is just doing right by my people.”

The epic drama will drop two episodes on August 1 followed by a new episode every week through September 19. The ensemble cast includes Luciane Buchanan, Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale’o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka and Te Kohe Tuhaka. To Men’s Health, Momoa explained that the show is “for Indigenous kids growing up, understanding that we were warriors and what we co*e from and understanding there was a language that was stripped from us. Like most Indigenous tribes, everything’s taken from us. It’s like rebuilding and building these bridges back.” You can check out the Chief Of War first look below.