Foosball: The Unbeatables shown in Phl ahead of US

MANILA, Philippines - The local movie-going audience will soon be treated to an early release date of the English-dubbed family adventure movie Foosball: The Unbeatables as it opens on Oct.  1 in cinemas nationwide, months ahead of its US release.

Originally titled Metegol in Argentine-Spanish and voiced with native Argentinian talents, the movie is known in the US as Underdogs and has also used the title Unbeatables in other international territories such as the Philippines.

Foosball: The Unbeatables is Juan José Campanella’s first cinematographic project since he was awarded the Oscar for The Secret in Their Eyes while Sergio Pablos, creator of the original idea for Despicable Me and who supervised Rio, is the animation head of the movie.

The movie’s English-dubbed voice cast is headed by Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint as the film’s hero — Amadeo, along with Anthony Head (who also starred in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters), Darren Boyd, Diego Ramos and promising new actress Eve Ponsoby. Additionally, well-known British TV thespians — Alex Norton (Taggart), Peter Serafinowicz (voiced Darth Maul in Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace) and Scottish comedian Lewis MacLeod, an ex-player for Scottish club Rangers — join the movie as the Foosball soccer player figurines who come to life to help Amadeo. 

The film tells the story of Amadeo, a shy table soccer genius whose foosball figures come alive to help him save his local town and win his childhood sweetheart, both threatened by a preening soccer mega-star. With the help of the foosball players, Amadeo will have to face his most terrible rival on the football pitch: The Champ. Guided by their leader, the charismatic Right Winger, the foosball players and Amadeo will set off on a great adventure together, like a true team, to get back the dignity that the Champ stole from them. Football is the stage on which this story of love, respect, friendship and passion is played out.

The movie received cheers and bows when it was featured as the opening film in the last Spanish Film Festival held at San Sebastian. A co-production of Hispano-Argentinian, Jorge Estrada Mora Producciones, Plural Jempsa and Atresmedia Cine, in association with 100 Bares Producciones and Catmandu Entertainment, in association with CANAL+ and Telefe, with the participation of Antena 3 and La Sexta, the production team of Foosball created animation anew with its unique look and visual style.

Gaston Gorali, Foosball producer and co-writer, guarantees that the movie was produced with careful attention to details. “The technological demands that Foosball required deserve a separate chapter. The project required more processing of data than what it is normally used in a bank with millions of customers, but thanks to the collaboration of great technology partners such as HP, Intel and Telefonica to have overcome such obstacles in completing the movie,” says Gorali.