Jason Momoa, the Nanakuli native who’s become a Hollywood superstar, will take on the leading role, co-write the screenplay, and serve as an executive producer, of a historical project that will probe the unification and colonization of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
“Chief of War,” earlier announced as an AppleTV+ film, will view island history from an indigenous point of view.
The project will film here this fall, so Momoa has scheduled two casting calls in July, with specific needs for adult men and women of Hawaiian and Polynesian descent, including Maori prospects. The search will include speaking roles, too.
The audition dates:
- July 15, from 1 to 5 p.m., at Waianae Intermediate School Cafeteria.
- July 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Bishop Museum.
The film will focus during the turn of the 18th century, when there were four major kingdoms of Hawaii, engaged in wars. The story is historically true, about Kai‘ana, a war chieftain, who travels the world outside of Hawaii and discovers his island home is being invaded and anticipates that the kingdoms would not be able to survive the power of foreign interests. Thus, Kai‘ana returns home to find a bloody campaign and joins the fight for unity.
Momoa will star as Kai‘ana, who also was known as the Prince of Kauai. Momoa is co-writing the script with collaborators Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett and Doug Jung. He has been particularly passionate about “Chief of War,” because he was born in Nanakuli and is part Hawaiian, making him a certified keiki o ka ‘aina.
Applicants must be residents of Hawaii, 18 years or older, and experienced actors as well as newcomers are invited. Other audition details are posted here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbb37YGO0ff/
“Chief of War” will be streamed on AppleTV+, where Momoa had his foot in the Apple door as a star for two seasons as Baba Voss, in the just concluded action-drama, “See.”…
Broadway grosses, week ending June 26
With Hugh Jackman returning to the cast of “The Music Man,” the Meredith Wilson musical, after a post-Tony bought with COVID 19, the show has an attendance bounce, topping a $3.2 million gross once again, besting “Hamilton” and its $2.2 million take last week. “The Lion King” was third, with $2.1 million.
The outlook:
And that’s Show Biz. …