If you haven’t heard of Coach Thomas Rongen, an American-Dutch football coach who made a big difference for the American Samoa soccer team in the 1990s, you’re in for a treat with the upcoming movie “Next Goal Wins.” This film is all about his inspiring story.
The film, directed by Taika Waititi, is set to be released this fall. It tells the story of how Thomas changed the lives of the football players he coached in the United States.
Produced by Jonathan Cavendish and Garrett Basch, the film is based on a British documentary about the coach released in 2014. “Next Goal Wins” will be out on November 17, 2023. Michael Fassbender plays the lead role of Thomas Rongen, and Oscar Kightley plays Tavita’s role.
The supporting cast includes Elisabeth Moss, Uli Latukefu, Chris Alosio, Semu Filipo, Ioane Goodhue, Rhys Darby, Angus Sampson, and Luke Hemsworth.
The film is expected to do well, given the positive response to the earlier film with the same title. It was made with a budget of $14 million and runs for 103 minutes.
Originally, “Next Goal Wins” was supposed to come out in April 2023, but it got delayed until November 2023 due to some unknown reasons. The cast also missed the premiere because of restrictions related to the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023.
The movie focuses on the life story of Dutch-American footballer Thomas Rongen and the choice he faced: either turn the American Samoa national team into winners or get fired from his coaching job.
The Premise
The documentary film tells the story of the tough decisions and challenges faced by Coach Thomas Rongen as he transformed the weakest team in America at the time, the American Samoa National team, into winners.
It all starts with Thomas Rongen having to choose between getting fired or training the American Samoa National team to become winners.
The film shows how one of the worst teams of that time turned into elite footballers, famously known for their 31-0 loss against Australia in the 2001 FIFA World Cup.
“Next Goal Wins” depicts the struggles of the American Samoa soccer team, trying to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, despite being considered one of the worst teams. Thomas Rongen, a passionate coach with an alcohol issue, takes them from being losers to winners.
The team works hard under his guidance, aiming to redeem themselves after the humiliating loss in the 2001 FIFA World Cup.
Filming Locations
Filming for “Next Goal Wins” began in November 2019 and wrapped up in January 2020. The primary location for filming was Honolulu, Hawaii.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is a beautiful island on Oahu’s south shore known for its natural beauty, tropical climate, stunning beaches, and delicious pina coladas. The entire movie was filmed there, and it’s believed that the opening sequence was shot in one of Honolulu’s locations.