Jason Momoa’s Hawaiian historical drama, Chief of War, just had its epic Season 1 finale on September 19. Earning widespread positive reviews from fans and critics alike, it has yet to be renewed for a second season.
However, given the reception and reaction, there is hope among fans and the crew that Apple TV+ will greenlight a second season. In fact, the cast and crew are hoping that Apple will approve more ‘seasons’ of the epic historical drama (via Hawaii News Now). But when such a renewal will take place, we do not know that as of now.
And if it does end up getting a second season, given the scale of its production and the time it took to produce the first season, it would take a year and a half or even two years to finish the second season. This means the release date for a potential second season will be either late 2026 or early 2027.
What Will Chief Of War Season 2 Be About?
Chief of War is a lush, large-scale historical epic about the unification and colonization of Hawai‘i told through an indigenous lens. Based on true events, it tells the story of the warrior chief Kaʻiana, portrayed by Jason Momoa, who rebelled against Kamehameha I.
The first season has left many questions unanswered as it ends with Kaʻiana grief-stricken and vengeful over his brother’s death. The finale ended with the warrior chief facing the dual threat of British forces and Kamehameha as he gets ready for an all-out civil war against rival Keoua.
The fate of the islands of Hawai’i hangs in the balance when the curtain falls, leaving the four islands on the brink of war. A potential second season will likely pick up from here. And since it is based on a true story, the series will follow historical events.
We can also expect a deeper exploration of Polynesian culture and language, especially continuing the commitment to authentic indigenous perspectives, rituals, and traditional systems of governance.
Given Momoa’s involvement and how the show embraces its ethnic elements with authenticity, we can expect intense visual storytelling, grand battle sequences, and possibly greater emphasis on characters who felt secondary in the first season.
Jason Momoa Details Uphill Battle to Make the Show
Creating Chief of War was never easy, according to Momoa and the production team. As the Hawaii News Now reports, for the actor, cultural authenticity was of utmost priority.
Momoa and co-creator Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett engaged many native Hawaiian advisors, used the Hawaiian language where possible, including its soundtrack, and adhered to Indigenous storytelling methods. Moreover, filming logistics were complex as only about 20% of filming took place in Hawai‘i; 80% occurred in New Zealand.
Negotiating support and permissions from local government and iwi (tribal) authorities was essential, especially for things like tax credits and cultural consultation. Momoa spoke of “meetings with Gov. Josh Green and others” to ensure that local communities are fairly represented and benefit from the productions (via Hawaii News Now).
We have a lot of fights to battle and to go through because it’s not our money making this, but you know, it’s a collaborative process.
Remarks Momoa to the news site. Meanwhile, Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, co-creator, executive producer, and co-writer, remarked about the scale of production and how challenging it all was. Well, it has been remarkable how the series has come about and how life-changing it has been for Hawaii and the culture (via Hawaii News Now).
It’s gonna be life-changing for a lot of people, for the state, for Hawaiians, for the lahui, everybody.
While the second season is yet to get approval, many expect a positive response from Apple TV+ in the coming days. Till then, let us know in the comments below your thoughts about the series so far.
The first season of Chief of War is available to stream on Apple TV+.
