Writer-director Taika Waititi brings out Michael Fassbender’s funny side in their upcoming sports comedy, Next Goal Wins. After several short films, the New Zealand director made a name for himself with local independent comedies Eagle vs Shark and Boy before his breakthrough feature, What We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary horror comedy centered around vampires living together in a Wellington apartment. After another success with Hunt of the Wilderpeople, the director’s newfound fame led to Marvel Studios hiring him for Thor: Ragnarok, a highly-regarded entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, the director garnered an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit and returned to the MCU for Thor: Love and Thunder.
Waititi recently sat down with Total Film to discuss his new sports film, Next Goal Wins. The director called the soccer movie an underdog story and compared it to the popular feel-good film Cool Runnings. Waititi also praised Fassbender for his comedic talent. Read what the director said about Fassbender below:
“Not many people know, he’s extremely funny. I think he needs to do more comedies personally. He was taking a break at the time… but he read the script. He loved it and decided to break his sabbatical and come work with me.”
Everything We Know About Next Goal Wins
Originally based on a 2014 documentary of the same name, Next Goal Wins centers on the historically bad American Samoa team and their bid for a spot in Brazil’s 2014 FIFA World Cup. Once the lowest FIFA-ranked team in the world, American Samoa was demolished by Australia 31-0 in 2001. Waititi’s new film dramatizes the journey of the Football Federation American Samoa and its national team as they attempt to turn their losing streak around.
Fassbender stars as Thomas Rongen, the former North American Soccer League player and soccer coach hired by American Samoa to rework and energize their team to victory in their three-year journey to Brazil. Rounding out the cast is Arrested Development‘s Will Arnett as a soccer executive (a quick replacement for Armie Hammer), The Invisible Man’s Elizabeth Moss as Rongen’s ex-wife, and Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua, American Samoa’s openly trans player and star of the team. Waititi wrote the film along with The Inbetweeners creator and Flight of the Conchords scribe, Iain Morris.
After the bombastic spectacle that was Thor: Love and Thunder, Next Goal Wins brings Waititi back to his more character-centered films based in and around his geographical and cultural home. The film will likely sport the director’s quirky humor that delighted audiences in Hunt of the Wilderpeople and helped propel Jojo Rabbit to a Best Picture nomination at the 92nd Academy Awards. With Next Goal Wins releasing in theaters on April 21, 2023, audiences must be patient to see what Waititi calls an antidote to Thor.
Source: Total Film