Between Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso and Wrexham AFC’s entire journey towards league promotion, public fascination surrounding scrappy football teams has arguably hit its peak, paving the way for a feature-length adaptation of Next Goal Wins directed by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit).
Based on the universally beloved 2015 documentary of the same name – as well as the real-life events said doco covered – the forthcoming film chronicles the American Samoa national football team’s attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the help of coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender). This was the very same American Samoa national football team famed for losing 31-0 to Australia back in 2001… the worst loss in all of international football history.
Depending on how you categorise Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, Next Goal Wins effectively marks the first time Michael Fassbender has dabbled in comedy, narrowly beating the long-awaited Kung Fury 2 for the career honour. And certainly a far cry from the soul-crushing dramas the thespian-cum-professional racer is generally known for like Hunger, Shame, and 12 Years A Slave. All of which were helmed by the same stern-faced culprit: Steve McQueen.
Fassbender has been joined by Oscar Knightly, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, Rhys Darby, Will Arnett, Elisabeth Moss, Angus Sampson, and at one stage, Armie Hammer (which obviously caused some production delays). Taika Waititi has written the screenplay alongside The Inbetweeners creator Iain Morris.
Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins is currently scheduled for release on November 17th, 2023 – check out the trailer above.
