Starting out as an indie filmmaker with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Taika Waititi has taken Hollywood by storm with his MCU entries, his recurring role in Star Wars series The Mandalorian has his Oscar-winning movie JoJo Rabbit, in which he plays an imaginary Hitler. Waititi has given us a glimpse at his newest project, Next Goal Wins, with a hilarious first trailer.
Based on the true story of the American Samoan soccer team, Next Goal Wins follows Michael Fassbender (Prometheus) as an unorthodox soccer coach Thomas Rongen who looks to salvage the small nation’s team after a record-breaking 31-0 loss.
As well as Michael Fassbender, Next Goal Wins stars Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Uli Latukefu (Black Adam), Rhys Darby (Our Flag Means Death) and Oscar Knightley (Moana)
Waititi co-wrote the film with Iain Morrison and is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison.
The film tells the true story of American Samoa’s attempts to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup as they fight their reputation as the worst soccer team in the world, after a shocking 31-0 loss to Australia in 2001. It also follows down on his luck soccer coach Thomas Rongen who is given the choice between coaching American Samoa, or retirement. The original documentary and Waititi’s film showcase the team’s struggle to accept their new coach and his unusual training methods.
As well as Next Goal Wins, Waititi is also directing a new movie for the Star Wars universe, although details about that project are minimal.
Next Goal Wins hits cinemas on November 17, 2023.
