Apple has picked up the rights to the sports comedy The Dink, directed by Josh Greenbaum (upcoming Spaceballs 2) and starring Jake Johnson (New Girl). Ben Stiller is on board as a producer and co-star, alongside an all-star cast that includes tennis champions Andy Roddick and John McEnroe, as well as Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell and Christine Taylor. Details as to the release plan, including whether the film will hit theaters in addition to streaming, have not yet been disclosed.
Written by Sean Clements, The Dink stars Johnson as a washed-up tennis pro who, desperate to save a struggling club and earn his father’s respect, is compelled to break a sacred vow and do the unthinkable: play pickleball.
The project reunites Apple with Stiller amid his work on Severance, the fan-favorite dystopian thriller series which recently landed 27 Emmy nominations — the most of any show this year — including Outstanding Drama series.
Apple will also serve as the distributor for Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost, Stiller’s intergenerational documentary passion project looking at the lives of his late comedy icon parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.
Johnson, meanwhile, is set to star alongside Tatiana Maslany in Apple’s upcoming comedic thriller series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed.
via: Deadline