Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’ Scores First Trailer

Next Goal Wins brought its first trailer at CinemaCon in Las Vegas Wednesday.

The soccer feature from Taika Waititi is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name, and follows the national football team of American Samoa and their rise from underdogs to winners under Dutch coach Thomas Rongen as they attempt to become a FIFA World Cup-qualifying outfit.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Microsoft's Activision Blizzard Deal Faces Long Odds After UK Regulator Blocks Merger, Analysts Say

• Byron Allen Touts His Dealmaking and Corporate Assets in First-Ever AMG Upfront

• Dakota Fanning to Star in Ishana Night Shyamalan Debut 'The Watchers'

Set to ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me,” the trailer begins with Michael Fassbender’s Rongen being fired and sent to American Samoa for a new job. He has his work cut out for him, as the team has suffered loss after loss, and has not scored a single goal.

And though filmmaker Waititi is an Oscar winner, the marketing opted to focus on his losses — including the Teen Choice Award for Thor: Ragnarok. After all, a winning story is made all the more satisfying if it comes from someone who has lost.

The cast also includes Will Arnett, Elisabeth Moss, David Fane, Beulah Koale Oscar Kightley and Lehi Falepapalangi. Searchlight has a date of Nov. 17 for the film.

This marks Fassbender’s first big-screen role since 2019, when he was among the leads of X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Waititi was last in theaters with Thor: Love and Thunder, the Marvel Studios film that was released last year.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

• 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie': See Who Voices the Beloved Characters

• Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 50 Best Films of the 21st Century (So Far)

• Hollywood Flashback: 'Soylent Green' Depicted an Overpopulated Planet With a Dark Secret

Click here to read the full article.