Why ‘Chief of War’ Is Not In English, According to Jason Momoa & Apple TV Show Creator

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The new series on Apple TV+, titled “Chief of War,” starring Jason Momoa, isn’t predominantly in English because it’s a historical drama aiming for historical authenticity. Fresh off the success of the global blockbuster “Minecraft,” Jason Momoa is now involved in another significant production, this time for Apple TV+.

The initial two episodes of “Chief of War” on Apple TV+ were recently unveiled, and viewers promptly observed that the series scarcely used English dialogue. Momoa, who is an executive producer and writer for the program, along with Thomas Paʻa Sibbett, the series creator and writer, opted to have the cast speak in the native Hawaiian language (Olelo Haiwai’i) to ensure historical authenticity.

Initially, the first couple of episodes predominantly feature native Hawaiian language dialogues, but as the series unfolds, you’ll notice an increased usage of English in the subsequent scenes. (Movie Critic speaking)

Chief of War,” one of Apple TV+’s most prominent shows in 2025, focuses on Ka’iana, a Hawaiian warrior portrayed by Momoa, who played a crucial part during the unification of the Hawaiian islands. This series made its debut on Apple TV+ on August 1, 2025, with fresh episodes scheduled for release every Friday.

How Much of Chief of War Hawaiian Vs. English? And Why?

So far, just two installments of the series titled “Chief of War” have been made available to viewers. These initial episodes heavily emphasize the native Olelo Hawai’i language, using minimal amounts of English.

As the story unfolds in the series, Jason Momoa has confirmed that English will be increasingly used. In an interview with The Globe and Mail, he explained this shift by suggesting that certain characters within the show would learn English for authenticity’s sake, as a chief of war might do so to better comprehend their adversaries.

During the same interview, Momoa explained why the show emphasized the native language so heavily. Both Momoa and Sibbett aimed to make Chief of War historically authentic and reflect genuine Hawaiian culture. If all characters in the series spoke English throughout, neither goal would have been achieved.

My friend, that point was a deciding factor for us. We simply couldn’t return home if we had done it in English. Frankly, we can’t. However, it should develop as well. Some characters might learn English, such as Ka’iana, as any war chief would. It’s crucial to know the enemy’s language.

When I interviewed Sibbett for TIME, he emphasized that incorporating the Olelo Hawai’i language was not just a mere addition, but an essential element that truly breathed life into our series. He believed that by listening to this language, viewers would gain insights into the characters and their thought processes, deepening their connection with the people portrayed on screen.

In essence, understanding someone’s language is like knowing their culture and thought patterns. It played a crucial role.

In a recent conversation with The Wrap, I echoed the sentiment that our choice was solely driven by culture and truthfulness. To put it simply, I expressed that eliminating language would mean erasing the essence of reality itself. Moreover, I shared that we aimed to demonstrate our devotion and commitment towards “Chief of War” through both dedication and authenticity.

Creatively speaking, we understood that stripping away language would strip away reality as well. We decided to take charge and demonstrate the commitment of our studio and creators. Our goal was to emphasize authenticity and cultural relevance by being pioneers in this field.

In essence, the majority of this series, titled “Chief of War,” is expressed in the beautiful Hawaiian language, Olelo Hawai’i. However, as the story unfolds, and with each new episode, English may gradually seep into the narrative, becoming increasingly prevalent over time.

Is Chief of War All Subtitles?

It’s probable that viewers of Apple TV+ who started watching the first two episodes of Chief of War observed that many scenes had captions. Given that it originated from an English-speaking nation, this was likely a deliberate choice since the series is predominantly in another language.

In simple terms, whenever the characters converse in the Olelo Hawai’i language, captions or subtitles will appear on the screen to ensure viewers can understand their conversation at all times.

In contrast, during speech, there are no captions visible. Yet, they can still be made available. By enabling the caption settings on the device you’re using to stream the program, both spoken English and captions will appear.

Is Jason Momoa Hawaiian Himself?

In the movie “Chief of War,” Jason Momoa takes on the role of the central character, Ka’iana. Some viewers have become curious about Momoa’s ethnicity, questioning if he is genuinely of Hawaiian descent.

Indeed, it’s correct to say that Jason Momoa hails from Hawaii. He was brought into the world in Honolulu, and his dad is of Native Hawaiian origin. So, by descent, Jason Momoa also identifies as Hawaiian.

Born and raised as the actor Jason Momoa is for the upcoming DCU’s Supergirl movie, he spent most of his early life in Iowa before graduating from high school. Consequently, due to his extensive childhood years in Iowa, Momoa doesn’t possess a strong Hawaiian accent, but there are subtle hints of his native language in his speech.

After finishing high school, Momoa returned to his hometown of Honolulu to study at The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, which is located there.

Yet, Momoa needed to master Olelo Hawai’i for Chief of War. Regrettably, due to a decline in native speakers, the language had essentially disappeared for some time during the mid-20th century. Fortunately, efforts were made in the 1970s to revive the language by teaching it once more to young Hawaiians.

As a passionate movie buff confessing my struggles, I’ll admit that I was likely the most challenged when it came to mastering this craft. However, I gave it my all, putting in countless hours of dedicated work, and ultimately, I triumphed!

Although I struggled the most with it, we put in a lot of effort. In fact, even though I appeared to be the director, my language coach was out of the camera’s view, and he ultimately determined whether I could progress past each scene.

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2025-08-04 20:06