Taika Waititi to direct Next Goal Wins

8 August 2019

Taika Waititi is set to direct 'Next Goal Wins'.

Taika Waititi

The acclaimed director will adapt the 2014 sports documentary of the same name - which was directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison - for Fox Searchlight after Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish acquired the rights to the project under their Imaginarium Productions banner.

The 'Thor: Ragnarok' filmmaker is adapting the feature with Iain Morris and brought on Garrett Basch to produce the film, which follows Dutch coach Thomas Rongen as he attempts to help the national football team of American Samoa as they try to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and recover from the indignity of being known as one of the weakest football teams in the world.

The 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' director will release his latest film for Searchlight, 'Jojo Rabbit' later this year and the World War II movie will see Scarlett Johansson play a mother who is hiding a Jewish girl in her home during the reign of Adolf Hitler when her German son discovers her secret.

Taika starts production on 'Thor: Love and Thunder' at the start of 2020 meaning the New Zealand filmmaker's manga movie 'Akira' for Warner Bros. is likely to be delayed due to his 'Thor' commitments.

However, it is hoped he will return to work on the Japanese-American sci-fi film, which is based on the manga character of the same name after he's completed the fourth instalment of the Marvel flick.

'Thor: Love and Thunder' will see Natalie Portman play a female version of Thor, in the fourth instalment of the franchise.

The Oscar-winning actress previously starred as Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in the first two 'Thor' films in 2011 and 2013.