Will Arnett steps into Armie Hammer's shoes in Taika Waititi's 'Next Goal Wins'

Armie Hammer is no longer a part of Taika Waititi's upcoming film, Next Goal Wins, amid allegations of sexual misconduct against the Hammer scion. As per recent media reports, the actor has been replaced by Will Arnett. The film, directed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker, is a soccer comedy about the journey of a team's revival following a heavy defeat. 

Will Arnett, as per a report by Deadline, shot for the role originally planned to be played by Hammer. The J. Edgar star was 'not available', the report added. 

More about Next Goal Wins

The plot of Next Goal Wins traces the story of an American Samoa's soccer team's journey after being smashed 31-0 in a 2001 match. The story is about their efforts towards redemption under the aegis of a coach, played by Michael Fassbender. 

Armie Hammer had been cast for the role of an official of the Football Federation American Samoa. The role was supposed to be bigger when Hammer was a part of the film, but the current portrayal will be more of a cameo, the report added.

The movie also stars Elisabeth Moss, Kaimana, Beulah Koale, Rachel House, Uli Latukefu and Rhys Darby. The shoot has been on for the project since November 2019, and the filming was completed by January 2020. 

Allegations against Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer left some projects that he was a part of following the sexual misconduct allegations that emerged against him in January. Numerous women came forward and alleged that he had sexually harassed them.

Even alleged screenshots from some of his reported conversations with the women surfaced online. The allegations included his alleged inclination towards cannibalism. He has, however, denied the accusations. 

A woman, who first came forward and made the allegations, then accused Hammer of rape, which she claimed took place in 2017. Following the allegations, the Los Angeles Police Department launched an investigation. 

Hammer left his association with projects like Shotgun Wedding, The Offer, Gaslit and The Minutes. He was removed from the film Billion Dollar Spy and was also dropped from his acting agency.