Last month, we learned that Taika Waititi, not content with several other projects on his To Do list, had added another: an adaptation of football documentary Next Goal Wins. The film is moving along at a nice clip, and now Michael Fassbender is closing in on a deal to star.
Next Goal Wins follows Dutch coach Thomas Rongen, who attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners. Andy Serkis and his Imaginarium team picked up the rights to Mike Brett and Steve Jamison's documentary in 2015, and brought it to Waititi's attention. The busy filmmaker is working on a script with Iain Morris and the film should be kicking off shooting later this year.
Waititi will need to get a move on, as he's due to start making Thor: Love And Thunder for Marvel. He has Jojo Rabbit headed to UK cinemas on 3 January next year. Fassbender has been filming Kung Fury 2, though that doesn't yet have a release date.