"Next goal wins!"
It's one of the great phrases from memories of childhood days spent playing football in the park or on the school playground with mates, and now it is the title adorning Taika Waititi's latest film.
The Jojo Rabbit and Thor Ragnarok director has returned to his roots with a smaller scale, indie movie for his latest project, and the first trailer has dropped.
Next Goal Wins stars Michael Fassbender, and tells the amazing story of American Samoa's attempts to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. From the look of the trailer, it's going to be a fantastic watch.
Next Goal Wins: First trailer arrives for Michael Fassbender movie
Though the manic energy of Taika Waititi is behind this feature, the story of Next Goal Wins was inspired by real-life events, and is an adaptation of a 2014 documentary of the same name.
It follows the story of Dutch-American football coach Thomas Rongen, who is recruited by American Samoa to try and steer the team in the right direction in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Given the team still hold the record for the heaviest defeat in international football history (31-0 to Australia in 2001), and had never won a World Cup qualifier before Rongen's arrival, it's an underdog story of gargantuan proportions.
Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender will play the role of Rongen in the upcoming film - and has received quite a makeover with a new blonde hairdo and thick beard.
The first trailer for the film was released this week, and it looks fantastic.
Fassbender is joined in the cast by Will Arnett of Arrested Development and Bojack Horseman fame, as well as Elisabeth Moss and Taika Waititi himself.
The trailer gives us a flavour of how Next Goal Wins will portray the on-field football action - and we're cautiously optimistic. Many have tried and failed to bring the sport to the big screen before, with many different approaches to how to portray the sporting action. The sideline footage approach has us excited for how Taika Waititi and co. have approached it.
Though Waititi's most recent film Thor Love and Thunder was not as well-received as its predecessor Thor Ragnarok, there is understandable excitement as he returns to a smaller-scale project. His early work from his home in New Zealand includes cult classics like What We Do In The Shadows and, if Next Goal Wins even comes close to those levels, it could be a special watch.
Next Goal Wins releases in Irish cinemas on November 17 this year.
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