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Goal: The Dream Begins
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  Goal: The Dream Begins Production NotesLike every kid, Santiago Munez has a big dream. But unlike every kid, he's given the rare opportunity to make that dream come true-if he's willing to put his fears aside, travel thousands of miles from home, and hold his own with some of the best in the world. The intense pressure and personal sacrifice prove costly for Santiago on his quest-but will they be enough to keep this gifted, determined young athlete and fledgling hero from his ultimate “Goal”?
When Santiago crossed the border into America at the age of 10, he had two things in his possession: his football and a tattered picture of the World Cup. Working menial jobs while growing up in Los Angeles, Santiago's (Kuno Becker) passion was playing football. Convincing his father that he could be an international football star was another story: “There are two types of people in this world,” declared the elder Munez, “People in big houses, and people like us who cut their lawns and wash their cars.”
But when Brit Glen Foy (Stephen Dillane), an amiable former football player and sometime scout spots Santiago at a local L.A. match, he recognizes a deft, fast and brave footballer-the kind of talent that the glamorous English Premier League Club, Newcastle United, is hungry for.
Now thrust into a foreign land where football is a religion and Newcastle's St. James' Park its cathedral, this young American must prove that he's got the grit and the game to win a contract with one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world. Muddy fields, cold winds and crunching blows from teammates-not to mention personal woes, injuries, and the temptations of life in the fast lane-are just a few of the obstacles Santiago must overcome to triumph in the heady, heart-pounding world of international football.
Directed by Danny Cannon, “Goal!” stars up and coming Latino actor Kuno Becker. Some of the hottest representatives from the world of football also appear in the movie, including David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Raul, and Newcastle captain Alan Shearer.
Milkshake Films and Buena Vista Pictures International present “Goal!” directed by Danny Cannon. The screenplay was written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. The film is being produced by Mike Jefferies and Matt Barrelle of Milkshake Films and executive produced by Peter Hargitay. With Co-Producer Danny Stepper and Associate Producer Allen Hopkins.
The film also stars Alessandro Nivola, Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel, Marcel Iures, Sean Pertwee, Lee Ross, Stephen Graham, Kevin Knapman, Cassandra Bell, Kieran O'Brien, Tony Plana and Miriam Colon.
The talented creative team includes cinematographer Michael Barrett, editor Chris Dickens, production designer Laurence Dorman, costume designer Lindsay Pugh and composer Graeme Revell.
About the Production
The cinema has given audiences scores of beloved, inspiring films about sports, from “Rocky” to “Raging Bull” to “Miracle.” Producers Mike Jefferies and Matt Barrelle wondered why Hollywood hadn't yet spawned a great football movie.
“We've seen a myriad of tremendously successful films that use sport as a backdrop-films about baseball, basketball, golf, you name it-and it just seemed incredible to me that the world's biggest sport-and, in fact, the biggest form of content on television today-has never been the subject of a decent movie,” says Jefferies.
It was in 2002, when Jefferies and Barrelle were at the World Cup in Japan, that their idea really began to take shape. Barrelle then spent a year researching the movie industry in general and the intricacies of this film in particular. They also got American Danny Stepper in on the venture.
The project was gathering steam. “It seemed like a no-brainer to us,” explains Jefferies. “If we could make a film that resonated on a dramatic level about this kid's story, and create something really engaging that has appeal beyond a sporting audience, so that it can cross over demographics, territory, gender… we'd have something really exciting,” says Jefferies.
 Novices to show business, Jefferies and Barrelle had the opportunity to sit down with an Oscar-winning director and pick his brain. As a result of the meeting, Barrelle, Jeffries and Stepper boarded a plane to Paris to meet with officials at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association-better known around the world as FIFA.“We met with FIFA to gain access,” explains Jefferies. “We wanted to be able to use these football properties, be able to film in stadiums and receive clearances, to be able to mitigate the problems we might have with licenses or image rights. We needed FIFA to hold our hand and help us navigate those channels.”
Cementing the deal with FIFA was critical to securing the involvement of the squads and enhancing the authenticity of the film. “Doing a deal with FIFA was incredibly important to us, and doing deals with the teams and actual players was critical as well,” explains Barrelle. “We wanted to use real teams because the fans really know what's going on, and football fans are obviously the most fanatic fans in the world. You can't cheat them. We didn't want to do that, and hopefully you'll see that on the screen.”
After considering several teams, the filmmakers opted to go with Newcastle United-based in a one-club town where footballers are gigantic stars-as the featured team in the film. “Newcastle appealed to us for many different reasons,” explains Mike Jefferies. “They've got very passionate, devoted fans. It's like a religion up there. They've got a tremendous stadium, and they're known for very attacking football. We also met our creative requirements in that the city's very cinematic.”
The Toon Army- the nickname for supporters of Newcastle United, no matter where their origin, often including people from well outside the UK -“really care if Newcastle wins or loses. The place erupts afterwards, and the town is electric,” says Barrelle.
Furthermore, Newcastle is up north, which made for an even stronger contrast with Santiago's balmy hometown, Los Angeles. “Plus the crowd is just crazy, which was fantastic in terms of footage, and capturing that on film was really important to us,” says Barrelle.
Once they chose Newcastle, the producers had to approach the team and secure its cooperation. The producers traveled to the area to have a look around.
With its grey clouds and rabid fans, the filmmakers decided Newcastle was perfect. The squad was amenable to participating in the film. “They loved the idea of exposing their brand around the world,” says Matt Barrelle. “They understand the commercial aspects of boosting the brand-the more money they have, the more money they can spend on players. The better players they have, the more they win.
“They understood what a Hollywood film could do for Newcastle United,” adds Barrelle. “We made a deal pretty quickly with them.”
Jefferies says establishing trust with Newcastle Chairman Freddy Shepherd was the key to their successful relationship. “They knew we understood that their core activity is playing professional football games. We had to be completely respectful of that and work around it,” he says. Filmmakers refrained from filming the players during training on days before a game. Newcastle's manager had to agree to everything.
“We also had to be very respectful of the boundaries, literally the physical and the logistical ones. We couldn't go over on a match day; we couldn't distract the players. But before and after games they were very accommodating. They really got excited about this, and they see the potential. Newcastle and FIFA put every resource at our disposal,” praises Jefferies.
The ease of the relationship reflected the overall professionalism of the squad. “Newcastle is a good example of very tight team that's run very well,” observes Barrelle. “If things work together on the field, they work together in other aspects as well. We were very fortunate to work with Newcastle.”
With the infrastructure in place, including the full cooperation of Newcastle United and FIFA, the filmmakers sought a director. They found him in 36-year old Brit Danny Cannon, who most recently was executive producer of the hugely popular “CSI” series on American television.
Growing up in Luton, Cannon was enamored with football. “Professional football players impress me enormously,” he explains. “They always have, even when I was a kid. They are brilliant at what they do.”
The producers had the utmost confidence in their choice of a leader to helm this sprawling production. “This is an incredibly artistic film; what Danny is doing creatively has never been done in any sports film. We've seen films about horse racing and golf and everything else, but no one's done a film about the world's biggest game,” says Danny Stepper. “So when we set out to do that, not only was it ambitious, but the way we were actually filming the action was incredibly ambitious. This is a film that only Danny can deliver.”
With a director in place, the filmmakers turned to veteran scribes Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning team behind the screenplays for such films as “The Commitments” and “Still Crazy” and the HBO television series “Tracey Takes On…”
The duo came aboard relatively late in preproduction. “We met with Mike Jefferies and Danny Cannon,” recalls Clement. “We got the go-ahead to write a draft not long after that.”
La Frenais is originally from Newcastle, and both writers live in L.A., so they were well educated about their subject.
“We understand the city where it's set,” says La Frenais. “We understand what football means in a sociological sense. We get it.”
But for the screenwriters, the story transcended the football field. “Everybody understands the story of a kid coming from nowhere, dragged out of his environment and being a fish out of water,” says Clement. “Everybody understands what is at stake, what Santiago is aiming for.”
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