The Argentinean 3D computer-animated feature film Metegol / Foosball (pictured) by Academy Award-winning director Juan José Campanella became the local film with the highest-grossing opening day in the country, selling about 108,000 tickets in its debut on Thursday, July 18.
With a reported budget of around $21 million USD, the Argentinean-Spanish comedy adventure animated co-production film is the most expensive film in the history of Argentinean cinema, which took four years to produce. Metegol is based on the short story Memorias de un wing derecho by Argentine writer Roberto Fontanarrosa and it features the voices of Pablo Rago, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Fabian Gianola, Horacio Fontova and David Masajnik. Animator Sergio Pablos, who was the executive producer and writer of Despicable Me, oversaw the technical side of the film.
The film tells the story of Amadeo, a shy but talented boy, and of a foosball team that is trying to get back together after having been dismantled. With the help of the foosball players, Amadeo will have to face his most terrible rival on the football pitch: Grosso. 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 Grosso stole from them. The original song of the film was composed and performed by Puerto Rican duo Calle 13.
Director Campanella's previous film El secreto de sus ojos / The Secret in their Eyes went on to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009, he had been nominated in the same category for his 2001 film El hijo de la novia / The Son of the Bride. The NYU Film School alumn is also a veteran director of American TV series like House M.D., Law & Order and 30 Rock.
Metegol is the newest in a series of films that have been breaking local records in Latin America. Last year Stefan vs. Kramer by Sebastián Freund, Stefan Kramer and Leonardo Prieto became the highest-grossing Chilean film; and this year the Peruvian film Asu Mare by Ricardo Maldonado and the Mexican film Nosotros los Nobles by Gary Alazraki have become the highest-grossing films in their local markets.
Watch the trailer:
