Jake Johnson Stars in Apple Film ‘The Dink,’ Trailer Ties Plot to Pickleball’s ‘Epidemic’

Apple on June 23 released the first trailer for its upcoming comedy film The Dink, starring Jake Johnson and directed by Ben Stiller, framing the project around what the film describes as a “pickleball epidemic.” The announcement arrives as Johnson completes his run on Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, with Apple placing the new feature as the next headline screen role for the New Girl actor.

In the trailer, the film borrows on the term “Dink,” presenting it as both a reference to the sport and a possible acronym meaning “dual income, no kids,” according to the promotional materials described in the report. Deadline also notes that the word is treated in the film through the lens of the sport’s rapid spread.

The Deadline report says Ed Harris appears in the movie as Chuck Boyd, a character presented in the trailer in connection with the film’s central premise about the growing popularity of pickleball. It also describes Stiller as the film’s creative lead, with Johnson in the starring role.

Deadline characterizes The Dink as Johnson’s next project following the conclusion of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed. The report positions the timing as a handoff from one streaming feature to another major studio-backed release, with Apple serving as the distributor and platform for the film’s marketing push.

While the trailer sets up the “epidemic” framing for the sport, the report does not provide further plot specifics in its summary beyond the character introductions and the promotional emphasis on pickleball. Additional details about release dates, supporting cast, and story beats were not included in the information provided for this write-up.

For viewers, the project lands in a moment when pickleball has been a common subject of popular culture discourse, and the film’s marketing leans into that familiarity. For Johnson, it also continues a pattern of moving between network comedy recognition and larger-scale streaming and feature roles.

Apple’s trailer release marks the start of broader audience visibility for The Dink, with the marketing campaign expected to expand as the film approaches its premiere. The next confirmed steps in the public release process will be additional casting announcements, official synopsis details, and the timing of where and when Apple will make the film available.