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Movies & TV

29th Apr 2023

New comedy-drama from Oscar-winning filmmaker should be must-watch for sports movie lovers

Stephen Porzio

Next Goal Wins

The movie is also co-written by one of the creators of The Inbetweeners and stars a two-time Oscar nominee.

The first trailer for the much-anticipated sports comedy-drama Next Goal Wins has finally been released online.

Based on the acclaimed 2014 documentary of the same name, the movie follows the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their 31-0 loss against Australia in 2001 – the worst in international football history.

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers approaching, American Samoa decides to hire down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen (two-time Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender) to manage them. This is with the hopes that he will turn the world’s worst football team around.

Next Goal Wins has plenty of talent involved in the project both onscreen and off. The film is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), based on a screenplay by him and Iain Morris, the co-creator of The Inbetweeners.

On top of giving Fassbender a rare chance to show off his comedic chops, the movie’s cast also includes Waititi himself, as well as Angus Sampson (Mad Max: Fury Road), Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Frankie Adams (The Expanse), Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) and Will Arnett (Arrested Development), with the latter replacing Armie Hammer in reshoots.

Due to Covid-19 and the aforementioned reshoots, Next Goal Wins’ release has been delayed a few times. However, the movie is now set to arrive in cinemas on 22 September.

You check out the trailer for Next Goal Wins right here:

Earlier in the week, JOE covered the teasers for the Netflix sports docuseries McGregor Forever and the upcoming seasons of the streamer’s other shows Black Mirror and Top Boy in separate articles.

Meanwhile, for more of the big trailer releases in the world of film and TV this week, see below.

A Haunting in Venice

This third entry in actor-director Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot franchise lands in cinemas on 15 September.

The Equalizer 3

Another third entry in a franchise, Denzel Washington returns as retired Government assassin Robert McCall who, while trying to find peace in southern Italy, winds up taking on the Sicilian mafia.

The Equalizer 3 will be out in cinemas on 1 September.

The Flash

Superhero The Flash (Ezra Miller) will get his first solo live-action movie when this DC flick arrives in cinemas on 23 June.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

This prequel to the YA franchise The Hunger Games starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) arrives in cinemas on 17 November.

Maggie Moore(s)

Jon Hamm and Tiny Fey star in this black crime comedy about a small-town police chief in a desert town who tries to solve the cases of two women with the same name that have both been murdered.

Maggie Moore(s) does not have an Irish release date yet but is out in the US on 16 June.

Sisu

In this acclaimed Finnish action flick set during the last days of WWII, a legendary ex-commando turned solitary prospector turns the tables on the Nazis that steal his gold.

Sisu lands in Irish cinemas on 26 May.

Strange Way of Life

Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal star in this short Western film from legendary Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar (Pain and Glory, The Skin I Live In) which will get an Irish release sometime after its Cannes Film Festival premiere next month.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

This next entry in the Transformers series of films will be out in movie theatres on 9 June.

And Just Like That… Season 2

Moving onto TV, this Sex and the City reboot series returns for a second season on Sky and NOW sometime in June.

Heartstopper Season 2

This hit coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama from Netflix also returns for a second season on 3 August.

Platonic

Bad Neighbours stars Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen will reunite onscreen for this Apple TV+ comedy series which will premiere on 24 May.

The Witcher Season 3

Last but not least, Henry Cavill’s final season on The Witcher as Geralt of Rivia – before Liam Hemsworth takes over the role – will be released in two parts on Netflix, with the first part dropping on 29 June.

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