Next Goal Wins: Taika Waititi is returning to TIFF for the soccer comedy’s world premiere

The Toronto International Film Festival is looking to score as the annual celebration prepares to host the world premiere of Taika Waititi’s soccer comedy Next Goal Wins. Waititi and TIFF are old friends, with the quirky director making a splash at the event in 2019 with his controversial buddy comedy Jojo Rabbit. The “anti-hate satire” earned the show’s coveted People’s Choice Award, producing solid box office earnings when the film went wide.

Scripted by Waititi and Iain Morris, Next Goal Wins is based on the 2014 documentary by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. The movie is about “the worst soccer team in the world, who famously experienced the biggest loss in an international match against Australia, 31-0, which is about a goal every four minutes,” Taika Waitit told Entertainment Weekly. “After suffering that huge defeat, they applied to the soccer federation to find a coach who could get them from the very, very bottom of the FIFA rankings.”

Waititi’s Next Goal Wins stars Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett, Frankie Adams, Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Lehi Falepapalangi, Semu Filipo, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, Chris Alosio, Rhys Darby, and Angus Sampson.

Waititi and Iain Morris will co-write the adaptation, which Andy Serkis, Garrett Basch, Jonathan Cavendish, and Fox Searchlight are producing. Brett and Jamison will also produce. The documentary hit the big time at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards that year.

With the feel-good comedy Ted Lasso officially in the rearview, I have no doubt audiences could crave an underdog story with heart and exceptional performances. Something is satisfying and timeless about watching a group of players defy the odds and rise above adversity. With Waititi at the helm, Next Goal Wins could land squarely between the goalposts for theater owners and general audiences.

The Toronto International Film Festival occurs between Thursday, September 7, 2023, and Sunday, September 17, 2023. Tickets for the annual film celebration go on sale in August, and JoBlo will be there to bring you all the news, reviews, and shocking moments later this year.