Jason Momoa has been talking about this project forever. Seriously. If you follow him on Instagram, you’ve seen the posts of him in Hawaii, looking more at home than he ever did in a superhero suit. It’s called Chief of War, and it’s basically his soul on screen. But if you're trying to clear your weekend to binge the whole thing, you probably want to know the commitment. So, how many episodes is Chief of War going to be?
Eight.
That’s the number. Apple TV+ has officially greenlit an eight-episode limited series. It’s a tight count, which honestly feels right for a historical epic that needs to maintain a high budget without dragging its feet through filler scenes.
Why the eight-episode count matters for Chief of War
Apple isn't known for being cheap. When they do "prestige" TV, they go all in. Think Masters of the Air or Shogun (though that was FX/Hulu, the vibe is similar). By sticking to eight episodes, the showrunners—Momoa himself and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett—are ensuring that every hour of television looks like a $200 million movie.
There's no room for "bottle episodes" where characters just sit in a room talking to save money. We’re talking about the unification of the Hawaiian Islands. That means massive scale. It means fleet battles with canoes. It means lush, sweeping shots of the archipelago before the resorts and tourist traps took over.
Most people don't realize that Momoa didn't just show up to act. He co-created this. He’s writing it. He’s executive producing. When a creator has that much skin in the game, they usually fight for a specific length to tell the story without the network forcing them to stretch it out to ten or twelve episodes just to fill a schedule. Eight is the sweet spot for modern streaming. It’s long enough to build a world but short enough to keep the pacing relentless.
The story behind the episode count
The series follows the perspective of the indigenous people of Hawaii. Specifically, it centers on Kaʻiana, a war leader who travels away from his home islands only to return and find his world changing. It’s a massive historical pivot point.
Kinda makes sense why they chose this specific length. You have to cover a lot of ground:
- The initial tribal conflicts.
- The arrival of outside influences.
- The political maneuvering between chiefs.
- The eventual bloody unification.
If you try to do that in four episodes, it’s a rushed mess. If you do it in twenty, you’re bored by episode six. Eight episodes allows for a distinct "act" structure. You’ll likely see the first two episodes establishing the old ways, the middle four covering the heat of the conflict, and the final two dealing with the aftermath and the legacy of the unification.
Who’s actually making this happen?
It’s not just the Momoa show, even if his face is all over the marketing. Francis Lawrence is involved. If that name sounds familiar, it should—he directed Constantine, I Am Legend, and most of the Hunger Games movies. He knows how to handle "big."
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Directing duties also fell to Justin Chon for the first couple of episodes. Chon is a genius at capturing cultural nuances—look at Pachinko or Blue Bayou. Having him set the tone for the first few episodes of Chief of War is a massive win for authenticity. It tells us that while the show is an "epic," it’s going to be grounded in real human emotion and Hawaiian culture, not just shirtless guys hitting each other with clubs.
The cast is also stacked with talent that knows this world. You’ve got Temuera Morrison—the legendary Jango Fett and Aquaman’s dad—playing King Kahekili. Luciane Buchanan is in there. Te Ao Kura Bollard. This isn't a Hollywood-washed version of Hawaii. It’s a project built by people who actually care about the history.
What to expect when you start streaming
Honestly, don’t expect a typical "history lesson."
The dialogue is going to feel different. The rhythms of the scenes are going to reflect Hawaiian storytelling. Because how many episodes is Chief of War is answered with a firm "eight," the narrative density is going to be high. You won't want to scroll on your phone while watching this. You’ll miss the subtle political shifts that lead to the big battles.
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The production actually filmed on location in Hawaii (obviously) but also did significant work in New Zealand. They’ve rebuilt villages. They’ve worked with cultural advisors to make sure the "Aloha" spirit isn't some postcard version, but the gritty, complex reality of 18th-century life.
Navigating the Apple TV+ release schedule
If you’re planning to watch, remember how Apple operates. They almost never drop all eight episodes at once.
Usually, they’ll give you a "premiere event"—likely the first two or three episodes on day one. After that, it’s a weekly drip-feed. This is great for the "water cooler" effect. It lets people talk about the insane cinematography or the latest plot twist for an entire week before the next chapter drops.
If you’re a binger, you’re going to have to wait about six weeks after the premiere date to watch the whole thing in one go.
Why this series is a gamble for Momoa
Jason Momoa is at a point in his career where he could just keep making Fast and Furious sequels and Aquaman spin-offs until he retires. Instead, he’s spent years pushing Chief of War through the system.
It’s a passion project. Passion projects are dangerous. They either become Braveheart or they become a self-indulgent mess. But early reports from the set and the sheer caliber of the directing team suggest this is leaning toward the former. The eight-episode structure is a disciplined choice. It shows they have a specific story to tell and they aren't interested in wasting the audience's time.
Preparing for the premiere
Before you dive in, it might be worth doing a quick Wikipedia search on King Kamehameha and the unification of Hawaii. Not because the show won't explain it, but because the real history is so much wilder than most people realize. Understanding the stakes of these islands—which were essentially their own universes back then—makes the conflict feel much more massive.
When you sit down to watch, keep these things in mind:
- Check your audio setup. The soundscape of the Pacific is a huge part of the immersion.
- Look at the background. The costume design and set pieces are historically informed.
- Expect subtitles. To keep it authentic, a lot of the dialogue uses indigenous languages and dialects.
The reality of how many episodes is Chief of War is that eight is plenty when the quality is this high. It’s a focused, violent, beautiful look at a piece of history that has been ignored by mainstream Western media for way too long.
Keep an eye on the Apple TV+ "Coming Soon" tab. Given the production timeline and the post-production needs for a show of this scale, the rollout is designed to be a major television event. Don't let the short episode count fool you—this is a big story.
Actionable Steps for Viewers
- Confirm your Apple TV+ subscription status: Since this is an exclusive, make sure your account is active a few days before the premiere to avoid login headaches.
- Set a weekly viewing night: Given Apple's typical release pattern, picking a consistent night to watch will help you avoid spoilers on social media.
- Research the Kaʻiana history: If you want to know the "true story" before the dramatization, look into the life of Kaʻiana and his relationship with Kamehameha the Great.
- Clear 8-10 hours of total time: Including potential re-watches or "making of" featurettes, the total time commitment for the series will be roughly the length of a full work day spread over two months.