Jason Momoa finished the third and final season of his Apple TV+ drama See with the series finale back in October, and he’s already working on his next show for the streamer, which involves filming in Hawaii. A native of the state himself, Momoa is telling the story of Hawaii’s unification and then colonization from the point of view of indigenous people with the upcoming Chief of War. Despite showcasing Hawaii, however, not all locals are happy about the production.
Production on Chief of War has involved the closure of the local Kaimu Farmer’s Market on the Big Island due to the production crew asking to use the area for filming the show, according to TMZ. In response, vendors who will lose revenue for two weeks of shutdown began seeking compensation from the film crew.
Although nobody from the show has reportedly responded to TMZ's request for comment, the market manager indicated that the production team will not be reimbursing vendors or the market for the shutdown, as they “have not been in conversation with them at all,” and the show is leasing from the property managers just as the market does. The Kaimu Farmer’s Market only operates on Saturdays.
According to the manager, vendors learned just six weeks earlier that they would not be able to hold the market as expected on December 3, with the addition of December 10 three weeks ago. The manager also stated that the shutdown affects farmers the worst because they have no venue to sell products (like eggs), as the “chickens keep laying whether we have a market or not.”
The Kaimu Farmer’s Market is normally open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, with the market’s website explaining that it hosts more than 60 vendors and 1,400 visitors each weekend. The market first announced the December 3 closure via Facebook post on October 19, at the time simply stating that it would be closed “due to unforeseen circumstances."
The Facebook account went into further details on October 31 after receiving the news that the market would have to be closed on December 10 as well as December 3, and the comment section of that post was filled with vendors voicing their frustration and well-wishers pitching potential solutions.
The account responded to some suggestions about moving the location for those days, revealing that it’s “too late now” because there’s no way that they could “prepare to put on this large of a market with no notice.” Another poster said “Thank Jason for taking away our lively hood during the busiest time of the year.”
While Jason Momoa has not commented at the time of writing, he is involved with Chief of War as more than just a star. He also serves as an executive producer and writer, with the upcoming series marking his first time writing for television. The Aquaman star is also teaming up with another actor from the DC superhero film, as Temuera Morrison is part of the Chief of War cast. (Morrison will also reprise his role as Thomas Curry as part of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cast opposite Momoa.)
Jason Momoa has also been showing off some good times in Hawaii, with a quite literally cheeky photo, and he brought a similar traditional Hawaiian malo for a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Only time will tell if the Chief of War production and Kaimu Farmer’s Market come to terms before the market closures in December… and if Chief of War ultimately ranks among the best Apple TV+ shows to watch.
