After multiple delays, which included extensive reshoots, Taika Waititi’s “Next Goal Wins” released a trailer this past April.
Now it’s going to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The news was announced via press release this late morning.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Taika back to the festival and share his audacious take on the most popular sport in the world,” Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, said in the press release. “‘Next Goal Wins’ is perfect for TIFF fans of the beautiful game looking for their football fix…”
The film stars Michael Fassbender and Elisabeth Moss and will be released on November 17th. This means that “Next Goal Wins” will premiere almost four years after shooting wrapped.
Principal photography on the film began in November of 2019 and ended in January 2020.
It has been in a state of limbo ever since. Delays had initially been caused due to Armie Hammer being in the movie. Hammer got #MeToo’ed after it had already been shot. His was a side character so the movie wasn’t scrapped. Instead, Will Arnett replaced Hammer during reshoots of the soccer comedy.
Waititi’s last movie, “Jojo Rabbit,” won the coveted TIFF People’s Choice Award in 2019. It went on to be nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. It also, somehow, won Best Adapted Screenplay that year.
The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival runs September 7 through 17. I’ll again be attending, it’ll be my 11th year covering the festival, which screens over 200 movies from all around the world.