In early August it was announced that Taika Waititi would be developing a mysterious project before embarking on an early 2020 production for Marvel's THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER. As it happens, that project is NEXT GOAL WINS, a film based on the 2014 British soccer documentary from directors Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. Word on the sports-oriented endeavor has been quiet since word first broke about Waititi's passion to bring the story to screen, but now we're hearing that PROMETHEUS and STEVE JOBS star Michael Fassbender is in final talks to star in the film.
Brett and Jamison's documentary follows Dutch coach Thomas Rongen who attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners.
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 made a big splash at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards that year.
Next up for Waititi is his anti-hate satire JOJO RABBIT, which centers on a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Nazi Germany who has his allegiances tested when he finds a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in his home, which does not please his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi), one little bit.
Here's the synopsis:
Writer-director Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE), brings his signature style of humor and pathos to his latest film, JOJO RABBIT, a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy (Roman Griffin Davis as JoJo) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.
While no release date has been set for NEXT GOAL WINS, Waititi's JOJO RABBIT will goosestep into theaters on October 18.