Justin Chon has signed on to direct and executive produce Apple TV+’s upcoming limited television series, Chief of War, which will star Jason Momoa. Chon will helm and produce the first two episodes of the eight-episode show, Variety is reporting.
Chief of War, which will tell the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view, marks the filmmaker’s latest directing venture with Apple. Chon previously helmed and executive produced multiple episodes of the streaming service’s critically-acclaimed drama series, Pachinko.
Chon is also known for most recently writing, directing and starring in the movie, Blue Bayou, whose supporting cast incldes Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham and Emory Cohen. Focus Features theatrically released the drama in September, after it had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in July.
The filmmaker’s other credits include scribing, helming, executive producing and starring in the 2017 feature, Gook, which premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. He also penned, directed and produced the 2019 drama, Ms. Purple, which also screened at the Utah-based film festival. He’s currently in post-production on the indie movie, Jamojaya.
Momoa will write all eight episodes of Chief of War with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett. Both will also serve as executive producers on the series, along with Francis Lawrence, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Erik Holmberg Chon and Doug Jung, the latter of whom will also serve as the showrunner. Endeavor Content and Chernin Entertainment will produce the drama.
Chief of War will be the second Apple show that will be led by Momoa. He’s currently starring in See, which is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which nearly all remaining humans have lost their sense of sight. The show aired its second season last year, and has been renewed for a third season.
