Smalls can ball! GOAT is the newest animated film from Sony Pictures Animation, the studio that created the “Spider-Verse” films and “KPop Demon Hunters.” An underdog story in which a small goat named Will (Caleb McLaughlin) gets the opportunity of a lifetime to play professional roarball. In a sport dominated by the fiercest and largest animals in the world, Will is on an uphill battle to prove to himself and the world that anyone can be on the court.
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Stephen Curry, legendary basketball player and producer for GOAT, feels a personal connection with the story of Will. “I relate to the entire story of ‘GOAT,’” he says. “My journey resembles Will’s—being overlooked, underrated—but finding your self-confidence through it all. It’s about the power of the team: No matter what walk of life, you can’t do anything great without the people around you. It’s cool to bring that into ‘GOAT,’ knowing how relatable it is—not just to my story, but to everybody.”
Curry wanted to showcase the culture of sport into animation, and bring his world off the court and into the big screen. “We included the accessories, the clothes, a dope soundtrack–the cultural references that everybody can laugh at and appreciate,” he says. “This is a timeless story–if you watch it 20 years from now, you’ll go back to a moment in time. We’re super excited to have those relatable references throughout the entire movie.”
Will’s voice actor Caleb McLaughlin also has a soft spot for his character and story. “I think underdog stories hit people because we’ve all felt like underdogs at some point,” he says. “We all start from a low place and have to push through our own version of concrete. And when you finally reach a goal, you remember the moments you struggled, or wanted to give up, but didn’t. People doubt you along the way, and I think audiences relate to that. These stories usually find people right at the moment they feel like quitting, and watching an underdog win reminds them to keep going.”
The sport of roarball is entwined with nature and the biomes that animals call their home, ranging from tropical jungles and the frigid tundras. “They can make use of all of their animal attributes,” says producer Michelle Raimo Kouyate. “They run on two paws, four paws, use their tails, horns, snouts, wings, tongues—anything goes.”
That’s where the prejudice against smalls playing such a dangerous game comes into the picture. “In our world, there’s no difference between bigs and smalls as far as the culture is concerned,” says co-producer David Schulenburg. “But roarball is so dangerous—the pace, the terrains—the idea that a small goat would play the game is just unheard of.”
For co-director Adam Rosette, “GOAT” speaks to the universal desire of following your dreams, and seeing them realized. “It represents what it’s like to have a dream, not only what it’s like to play sports,” he says. “It’s about Will’s dream, which just happens to be becoming a pro roarball player. If you’ve ever had a dream—something that you aspire to be—this movie is for you. There’s heart, there’s hustle and humor.”
Get ready to play ball as “GOAT” arrives in Philippine cinemas on February 11.
Photo & Video Credit: “Columbia Pictures”
