If you are looking for the next movie featuring some of the stars of Hawkins, look no further than GOAT. The animated film, starring Caleb McLaughlin and David Harbour as voice actors, is set to premiere in theaters on Friday, February 13th. McLaughlin, best known for his role as Lucas Sinclair on Stranger Things, voices Will Harris. His Stranger Things co-star Harbour voices the character Archie Everhardt. The film also has Eduardo Franco, who played Argyle on Season 4 of Stranger Things, for the voice of Daryl.
The Plot: Can a “Small” really “Ball”?
GOAT comes Sony Pictures Animation, the same studio behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media. The animated film follows McLaughlin’s character’s journey towards superstardom as he plays a sport known as “roarball.” His character is a young goat that has just entered into the pro world and is initially ridiculed by his teammates due to his small size. arbour’s character, a seasoned black rhinoceros and veteran roarball player, seems to fill the role of a mentor to McLaughlin’s character.
The film is inspired by Curry’s real-life philosophy, with him often being considered one of the premier “small ball” players of the NBA.
The film’s synopsis reads:
The story follows Will, a small goat with big dreams who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball – a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world.
Will’s new teammates aren’t thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that “smalls can ball!”
A Star-Studded Locker Room
In addition to the duo from Hawkins, the film features a large ensemble cast of voice actors, including Jelly Roll, Steph Curry, Nick Kroll, Nicola Coughlan, Gabrielle Union, Jenifer Lewis, Aaron Pierre, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Sherry Cola, and Jennifer Hudson.
What We Learned From His Visit to “The View”
To promote the upcoming film, McLaughlin stopped by The View this Friday, where he also took a moment to reflect on the legacy of Stranger Things. The conversation quickly dived into fan theories when the hosts asked for his take on the series finale’s biggest mystery: Eleven’s fate. McLaughlin praised the Duffer Brothers for ending the show with a note of optimism, which he feels has always been important to the series. However, he didn’t sugarcoat his personal theory. “Nah, she’s gone,” he told the hosts, adding, “Rest in peace, Eleven.” He clarified that while his character, Lucas, holds onto a level of optimism that she survived, as an actor, he believes Season 5 was the definitive end. “I’m not coming back,” he joked. “Season 5, that was it.”
Beyond the Upside Down, McLaughlin discussed his recent nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the NAACP Image Awards. If he wins at the ceremony on February 28th, it will mark his second NAACP trophy, following his 2018 win for Outstanding Performance by a Youth. He also gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the viral Saturday Night Live reunion with Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo that took place in January. McLaughlin indicated that his appearance in the skit was a last-minute surprise; though he was already planning to attend the show to support Finn, he got a call the day before asking if he’d join for the Stranger Things skit. The segment ended with McLaughlin showing off one of his basketball skills, developed when he played basketball growing, by spinning a ball for the live audience.
What’s Next for McLaughlin?
While GOAT is McLaughlin’s only confirmed project at this time, rumors continue to spin that he might be selected for a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), specifically in the role of Miles Morales. Earlier this week, videos of McLaughlin performing impressive acrobatic training went viral on social media, adding fuel to the speculation that he is prepping for a superhero debut. Unfortunately, we have no confirmation if he has been tapped for the role yet, but it is something that we will continue to follow.
The Trailer:
