In the high-concept world of Sony Picture Animation’s, “Goat,” what happens off the court is just as important as the game played on it.
In this case, that game is roarball, a co-ed, enormously intense version of basketball that Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin), a Boer goat with big dreams, is desperate to play professionally — despite his small stature. And much like the fictional sport’s real-world counterpart, in this all-animal cinematic universe, roarball is the ultimate culture-definer.
Across the world’s six biomes, Roar league players are bona fide icons, selling out arenas and ducking the paparazzi. Will comes of age idolizing Vineland Thorns’ star Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union), a black panther; Whisker’s Diner, where he works, is ornamented from top to bottom with Jett memorabilia, as is Will’s room, where a poster of the roarball legend is taped to the ceiling. Like their real-life NBA counterparts, off-the-clock the four-legged players don upscale athleisure with glitzy stacks of chains and have their own exclusive sneaker models.
As basketball sits at the intersection of music, art, technology and fashion, “Goat,” produced by four-time NBA champ Stephen Curry, pulls from an abundance of source material to create an animated world that mirrors the very real ways the sport has come to occupy an unshakable spot in pop culture today. And while “Space Jam” or “Zootopia” might be easy initial comparisons to make, no animated film has immersed viewers into the world of basketball more fully than “Goat” does.
“We wanted to create this multidimensional film that touches culture on many points,” said Tyree Dillihay, who directed “Goat” alongside Adam Rosette. “Yes, we get the on-court action. But it’s good to understand what the real lifestyle is off the court.”
Inspired by Chris Tougas’ illustrated children’s book “Funky Dunks,” “Goat” follows Will’s journey from a roarball super-fan to a professional player when owner Flo Everson (Jenifer Lewis), a warthog with perfectly manicured hooves, signs him to the underperforming Thorns. But before that, Will works as a delivery goat to pay rent, using whatever spare time he has to shoot hoops at the local streetball court.
It’s a classic underdog story, and one that reflects the experience of trying to make it big as an athlete. Basketball specifically proved to be the perfect sport to illustrate this journey, because unlike football, it’s a “global game,” said Union, and one with few initial barriers to entry. “As long as you have a ball and a hoop, or a ball and a bucket, you can play,” she explained.
How’d Flo hear about Will? Thanks to a mega-viral video of Will taking on Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), an Andalusian horse and a rival roarball player on the Lava Court Magmas, in impromptu pick-up game.
It’s one of many nods the film makes to the evolving role social media plays in the sport. At one point, the Thorns’ Coach Dennis (Patton Oswalt), a proboscis monkey, jokes to Will that they have to limit ostrich Olivia Burke’s (Nicola Coughlan) screentime, who often finds herself scrolling to see what the critics are saying about her. In another moment, long-time rivals Jett and Mane exchange jabs against one another over a livestream as thousands of roarball fans tune in and cheer them on in the comments.
Established as the bad boy of roarball, Mane also drops the diss track “Goat Tears,” aimed at none other than Will, in which he raps bars like “I’m the Godfather, call me Pony Soprano.” While the track isn’t confirmed to have been inspired by any real-life clash in particular, basketball fans will be quick to recall several iconic hip-hop head-to-heads that cemented the diss track as a storied tradition between rivals.
“Who didn’t hear Damian Lillard go off? If he wasn’t a basketball player, he’d be a rap star,” said Union. “I remember when Shaq had a rap album.”
The only thing more captivating than Mane’s humorous lyrics is his streetwear look. Donning a mesh tank to show off his muscles, Rick Owens-inspired shorts and red bottom sneakers, along with a hefty amount of bling, plus a gold tooth, his ensemble, along with the rest of the character’s looks, is one directly influenced by the off-duty outfits of real NBA stars.
A longtime fan of the game, costume designer Dominique Dawson used her arsenal of fashion knowledge and streetwear culture to inform the story. When she first signed on to dress the animated cast, she dove especially deep into the streetball subculture.
“The athletes that just love to show up and they’re not getting paid,” Dawson explained. “What does that fashion look like? Because they have so much more freedom to wear whatever they want and express themselves.”
Before Will goes pro, his oversized grey hoodie, layered t-shirt and baggy basketball shorts are reminiscent of the silhouettes of real-life ball players who need their clothes to transition seamlessly from on the court to off. “When he was at work, he could go right after work to practice and hit the court,” said Dawson. “His focus is basketball.”
Of course, the film also shines a light on the more high-fashion elements of the game, specifically spotlighting the now notoriously high-profile tunnel walk. This pregame tradition has transformed into a showcase for NBA players’ fabulously luxurious, often designer, looks. Jett, who is typically outfitted in a catsuit — no pun intended — swaps her sporty look for a glistening gold halter top and a pair of empire waist trousers while arriving at a particularly important game. “[It] was so fun to be able to get all these people dressed to the nines,” said Dawson.
Archie (David Harbour), Olivia (Nicola Coughlan), Jett (Gabrielle Union, Lenny (Stephen Curry), Will (Caleb McLaughlin) and Modo (Nick Kroll) in “Goat.”
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation
“My husband [Dwyane Wade, three-time NBA champion] was early into the fashion. He took a lot of hits, especially for that unfortunate jumpsuit,” added Union, referencing a plunging look Wade wore for an Esquire photoshoot. “But he was leading in that way. And now you see the tunnel walk, and it’s a runway. That’s what this game does, and it’s always mirroring what’s happening in culture.”
And it wouldn’t be a basketball movie without sneakers, which were a “natural” fit for the world of roarball, said Dillihay. “I’ve been a part of the sneaker community for a long time,” he continued. “Sneakers are an extension of basketball culture. You’ve got on-court sneakers, you’ve got off-court sneakers. It’s just a part of the lifestyle.”
Indeed, sneakers play a central role in “Goat”.
Before making the big leagues and desperate for cash, Will resells his vibrant Fillmore 4’s (Jett’s signature shoe), while an original pair of the shoes are on display in the Vineland diner. Throughout, players exclusively sport the style in a variety of neon colors, brought to life by production designer Jang Lee, who adapted existing UnderArmour models in the design. (Sneaker heads might recognize the sneaker store owner — pun intended this time — Sneaky; Joe La Puma, the host of Complex’s “Sneaker Shopping,” voices the vulture.)
Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin) and Jett (Gabrielle Union) in “Goat.”
©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Part of what makes the world of “Goat” so immersive is its attention to detail. To create authentic plays, the film’s team consulted with real basketball players, including 19-year NBA veteran Andre Iguodala, who also voices a zebra working as a referee.
“One of my favorite pieces is just how real the actual basketball motions and the animation are,” said Curry, who also voices Thorns player Lenny Williamson, a giraffe. “You just see how fluid the motion is.”
Curry isn’t the only player who lent his voice to a character. Wade joins as a bull who plays roarball for the Shadows, as does Kevin Love as a gorilla and A’ja Wilson as an alligator. Angel Reese voices a polar bear who plays for the Shivers.
“They submitted to the process and what they brought was just a level of authenticity that you’re going to get from NBA professional athletes and WNBA professional athletes,” said Dillihay. “We asked them for trash talk in the moment — a lot of those are ad-libs from their own lips. They came with their own energy, their own intensity.”
And while Union herself might not be a pro, Jett being one of the most iconic in the league and a woman is another nod to basketball’s shifting culture. “I go to [WNBA team] Chicago Sky games and there’s a line of kids and it’s boys and girls. They want to be Angel Reese,” said Union. “So that line in the movie, ‘I want to be like her,’ that Will says when he’s a kid, that just resonates so much.”
As she puts it: “Ball is life, as they say!”
Jazz Tangcay and Angelique Jackson contributed to this story.