#Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins Replaces Armie Hammer With Will Arnett

“Next Goal Wins” centers on the real-life story behind Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen’s (played by Michael Fassbender) attempt to lead the infamous American Samoa national football team to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I say “infamous” because it was considered the weakest football team in the world at that time, having struggled for years after suffering a historic 31-0 loss to Australia’s international football team in 2001. (Humiliating your opponents that excessively reflects far worse on Australia than it does the American Samoa team, but that’s just my two cents.)

Joining Fassbender and Arnett in the “Next Goal Wins” cast are Elizabeth Moss, Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Lehi Falepapalangi, Semu Filipo, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, Chris Alosio, Rhys Darby, and Angus Sampson. Odds are, Waititi’s incoming “Thor: Love and Thunder” will gross more in its first day of release at the box office than “Next Goal Wins” will during its entire run. All the same, I’m happy that Waititi made another low-budget film that blends pathos with broad comedy before he set to work on his next MCU tentpole. But more than that, I’m glad the movie will get to see the light of day without being tainted by Hammer’s presence.

“Next Goal Wins” has yet to receive a release date from Searchlight Pictures, with “Thor: Love and Thunder” premiering on July 8, 2022.