Gee, a real actual trailer for Taika Watiiti‘s Next Goal Wins. And a moment in casting history — Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua, the first transgender football player to play in a men’s World Cup qualifier.**
The management of a losing Samoan soccer team hires a white-ass Dutch-American coach (Michael Fassbender), a move that gradually results in good, prideful things as the team seeks to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Niki Caro‘s McFarland (’15) told a roughly similar story — white coach (Kevin Costner), hard-luck, losing-streak Latino team.
Based on same-titled 2014 doc by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison.
Filming on Taika Watiti’s feature version began in November 2019 and wrapped in January ’20. Searchlight will release it on 11.17.23.
I would honestly like to see the Armie Hammer scenes included on the Bluray. Seriously — where’s the harm? Hammer joined the film in December ’19, playing an executive with Football Federation American Samoa. After Hammer got into trouble for questionable personal behavior in late ’21, it was announced that Will Arnett would be replacing him.
The trailer ends with a pledge: “Coming soon.” Which isn’t true, of course. It’s late April — next November is not “soon.”
** Sasha Stone mentioned this early this afternoon on Awards Daily.