Ben Stiller pickleball comedy 'The Dink' finds a home at Apple

Pickleball is, in brief, basically tennis with less running. You may have played it in gym class years ago, only to be surprised when it exploded into a full-blown fad. Suddenly, it was everywhere: social media feeds, athlete endorsements, newly built courts in cities, and even on American television. When Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara starred in pickleball-themed beer commercials, it was clear the sport had entered the mainstream — and maybe even jumped the shark.

Apple Films is now hoping to squeeze a little more out of the craze with a pickleball-themed sports comedy, aiming to turn the latest fad into its next box office story.

The film, titled 'The Dink,' was already in post-production when Apple Films acquired distribution rights. Ben Stiller is among the producers and also appears in the movie, though the star is Jake Johnson, best known for 'New Girl.'

The premise is familiar: Johnson plays a washed-up former tennis player who reluctantly takes up pickleball. Along the way, he is tasked with saving a struggling club and earning his father’s respect — though how seriously the film takes this goal remains to be seen.

The cast also includes Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Chris Parnell, and Patton Oswalt. There may even be appearances from tennis legends Andy Roddick and John McEnroe. The film was written by Sean Clements and directed by Josh Greenbaum, who previously helmed the delightfully silly 'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.'

All of this suggests that 'The Dink' may not be a straightforward sports comedy, but something more absurd and self-aware — perhaps even poking fun at the very idea of a pickleball movie in 2025. Fingers crossed.

(h/t The Hollywood Reporter)