The Dink: Ben Stiller's next serve will be a pickleball comedy

With Ben Stiller’s Apple TV+ hit series Severance capturing global audiences, many were wondering what his next move would be. Would he choose to direct another potentially mind-bending concept? Would he return as an actor in something comedic? Or, would he just take a break?

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed a while back that Stiller's next project would be an acting and co-production job for the comedy film, The Dink. With the film in post-production at the time of publishing, according to IMDb, and as release date approaches, fans on social media are obviously thrilled.

The Dink is a comedy film centered on the sport of pickleball. The film stars Jake Johnson, Ed Harris and Mary Steenburgen, with Josh Greenbaum serving as director. Tennis greats John McEnroe and Andy Roddick are said to feature in the cast, too.

Stiller is no stranger to the sports comedy genre, having previously starred as the antagonist in 2004’s Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, which has since become a cult classic.

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Ben Stiller’s The Dink: What we know so far

The official synopsis for Stiller’s upcoming sports comedy reads:

“The Dink follows a washed-up tennis pro who, in trying to save a club in crisis and win his father’s respect, is forced to break a solemn vow and do the one thing he swore he’d never do: play pickleball.”

The film has an ensemble cast featuring Jake Johnson as the lead, alongside Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen, and Stiller. The cast is rounded off with familiar faces including SNL's Chloe Fineman, Patton Oswalt, Chis Parnell, Martin Kove and Stiller’s wife, actress Christine Taylor.

Josh Greenbaum, who will also direct the long-awaited Spaceballs sequel, will helm The Dink, which has been penned by Sean Clements, largely known for his writing work on Comedy Central's workplace comedy, Workaholics. Production for the film was confirmed to have kicked off in November 2024, but there is no confirmed release date as of this moment.

The growing popularity of the sport of pickleball and its accessibility to people across age groups are reasons that could make the film widely relatable to audiences everywhere. This will be Stiller’s first credited acting role since Nutcrackers, which released to mixed reviews in November 2024. The Dink reunites Stiller with Rivulet, who funded Nutcrackers and will fully finance the new film, too.