Apple Announces new sports comedy film The Dink
Apple Original Films is adding to its award-winning feature lineup with The Dink, a new sports comedy directed by Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and the upcoming Spaceballs 2). The film stars Jake Johnson (New Girl, Minx, Self Reliance, and upcoming Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed) in the lead role.
In The Dink, Johnson plays a washed-up tennis pro who must take on the unthinkable—playing pickleball—to save a struggling club and win his father’s approval. The comedy features a star-studded supporting cast, including Ben Stiller, tennis legends Andy Roddick and John McEnroe, as well as Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell, and Christine Taylor.
The film is produced by Stiller and John Lesher for Red Hour Films, alongside Rob Paris and Mike Witherill for Rivulet Entertainment, with Johnson also serving as a producer. The screenplay is written by Sean Clements, with executive producers including Rick Steele, Clements, Greenbaum, Joe Hardesty, Jonathan McCoy, and Daniel Crosser.
The Dink continues Apple’s collaboration with Stiller, following the massive success of Severance, which earned 27 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. Johnson will also appear alongside Tatiana Maslany in Apple’s upcoming comedy-thriller Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. Stiller and Rivulet previously teamed on Nutcrackers, directed by David Gordon Green, released in November 2024.
Apple Original Films has seen significant momentum since Apple TV+ launched over five years ago. Recent hits include F1: The Movie, which topped the global box office following its theatrical release on June 27, 2025. Upcoming releases include Highest 2 Lowest, a reunion of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, which premiered in theaters on August 15 and streams on Apple TV+ September 5, and The Lost Bus, an emotional rescue drama directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Greengrass, starring Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera, set for fall release.
Apple has made history with its original films, becoming the first streaming service to win the Academy Award for Best Picture with CODA. Other accolades include an Oscar win for Best Animated Short for The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, and ten Academy Award nominations for Killers of the Flower Moon, including Best Picture. Recent Apple TV+ premieres include Emmy-nominated The Gorge with Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, Wolfs starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, The Instigators with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, Steve McQueen’s Academy Award-winning Blitz, and the thriller Echo Valley, starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney.