On April 11, 2001, the world bore witness to the most overwhelming win/devastating defeat in the history of FIFA World Cup qualification, when the Australian national soccer team defeated the American Samoan team 31-0; indeed, no one knows complete ego death quite like the members of that year’s American Samoa national soccer team.
Of course, it’s impossible for a man like Taika Waititi to look at a piece of history like that and not decide to make it the backdrop of one of his outrageous comedy films, and it looks like that’s precisely what happened given the upcoming release of sports-comedy film Next Goal Wins, which distributor Searchlight Pictures (The Banshees of Inisherin, Jojo Rabbit) has just given us a brand new trailer for.
Based on the mostly-true nuances surrounding the aforementioned soccer match, Next Goal Wins follows the rollicking plight of Thomas Rongen, a dramatized version of the real-life ex-footballer and coach who was tasked with injecting some spirit back into the American Samoa national team, eventually succeeding in ending the decade-long losing streak the team suffered from following their historic defeat. Featuring a uniquely-Waititi mix of awkward comedy, fun slapstick, and a distinct abundance of heart, the filmmaker looks to be in his element here.
The film comes from a script co-written by director Waititi and Iain Morris. Michael Fassbender stars as Rongen alongside the likes of Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Kightly, David Fane, Beulah Koale, and Will Arnett, while Jonathan Cavendish (Bridget Jones series of films) and Garrett Basch (What We Do in the Shadows) serve as producers.
Next Goal Wins will release to theaters on Nov. 17.
