When you hear the word GOAT, you automatically think championships, rings, and record-breaking stats. But the new animated film GOAT, hitting theaters this Friday, expands that definition in an unexpected and refreshing way. Set in an all-animal world where athletes compete in Roarball, a high-energy sport inspired by basketball, the film brings culture, style, and heart into the animated space while still delivering a story that feels deeply human.
The cast is stacked with Caleb McLaughlin, Will Harris, Stephen Curry, Lenny Williamson, Aaron Pierre, Mane Attraction, Gabrielle Union, Jett Fillmore, and more, bringing personality and heart to this animated universe.
Produced by a “living GOAT,” as director Tyree Dillihay called him during the film’s press conference, basketball legend Curry, GOAT is more than just a sports movie. It is about confidence, individuality, and learning to run your own race. While the film is rooted in competition and ambition, it also embraces the underdog mentality and the reality that greatness does not look the same for everyone.
“Something for the whole family to come enjoy and bring something that’s relevant to life,” Curry shared. And that sentiment is felt throughout the film’s themes.
At its core, GOAT explores what it means to grow up idolizing greatness. Many athletes can relate to looking up to heroes who feel larger than life. As Union, who voices the Roarball legend Jett Fillmore, reflected while speaking to reporters, growing up watching stars like Teresa Weatherspoon, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lisa Leslie made greatness feel almost unreachable. The film captures that exact feeling, the admiration, the comparison, and the doubt that rookies and young athletes often experience when trying to measure up.
Curry connected deeply to that message, reflecting on his own journey. “All I heard was what I couldn’t do, wasn’t big enough or wasn’t fast enough… So running your own race, living your own journey, and being ready for when your moment is there,” he said during the press event, describing how the film mirrors his own underdog story.
While GOAT centers around Roarball, it fully immerses audiences in basketball culture. From tunnel fits and sneaker culture to music, street style, and the larger-than-life arena energy, the world of the film feels authentic. Dillihay described basketball as “the sport that sits at the intersection of music, fashion, art, tech,” he noted during the press conference, and that intersection is fully realized in this animated space. The characters’ style, personality, and off-court moments add depth, showing that basketball is not just a game; it is a culture.
Much like Like Mike or Space Jam, the film combines animation with the culture and excitement of basketball, all while centering a story rooted in self-belief and perseverance.
As GOAT prepares to hit theaters this Friday, it positions itself as a family-friendly film that blends humor, heart, and hoops. Whether you are a sports fan, sneaker enthusiast, or simply someone who understands the pressure of chasing greatness, GOAT reminds audiences that being the greatest of all time starts with being yourself.