Goon (film)

Goon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Dowse
Written by	Jay Baruchel Evan Goldberg
Based on	Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey by Adam Frattasio and Douglas Smith
Produced by	Hartley Gorenstein Don Carmody David Gross Jesse Shapira André Rouleau Jay Baruchel Ian Dimerman
Starring	Seann William Scott Liev Schreiber Jay Baruchel Alison Pill Marc-André Grondin Kim Coates Eugene Levy
Cinematography	Bobby Shore
Edited by	Reginald Harkema
Music by	Ramachandra Borcar
Production companies	No Trace Camping Caramel Film Don Carmody Productions Inferno Pictures Inc.
Distributed by	Alliance Films
Release dates	September 10, 2011 (2011-09-10) (Toronto) February 24, 2012 (2012-02-24) (Canada)
Running time	92 minutes
Countries	Canada United States
Language	English
Budget	$12 million[1]
Box office	$7 million[2]

Goon is a 2011 Canadian sports comedy film directed by Michael Dowse^[3] and written by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg, based on the autobiography Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey by Adam Frattasio and Douglas Smith. Starring Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Marc-André Grondin, Kim Coates, and Eugene Levy, the film follows Doug "The Thug" Glatt (Scott), an exceedingly nice but slightly dimwitted bouncer who unexpectedly finds personal and professional fulfillment after becoming the enforcer for the Halifax Highlanders, a minor league ice hockey team, as he prepares to face off against Ross "The Boss" Rhea (Schreiber), the legendary enforcer for the St. John's Shamrocks.

Goon premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2011, and was theatrically released in Canada on February 24, 2012. Despite largely positive reviews from critics, the film was a box office failure, grossing $7 million against its $12 million production budget. It received six nominations at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Director for Dowse and Best Cinematography for Bobby Shore.

The film became a sleeper hit following its premiere on Netflix, leading to an increase in DVD sales and VOD downloads. This unexpected success ultimately resulted in a sequel, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, which was released in 2017.^[4] Goon has developed cult following in the years since its release, and Scott and Baruchel have expressed interest in the possibility of a third film.^[5]