Apple Released A Ridiculously Silly Movie Trailer For Their New Pickleball Movie “The Dink”
The official trailer for The Dink, Apple Original Films’ highly anticipated sports comedy, just dropped — and it’s already delivering laughs, culture-clash chaos, and that sweet, satisfying dink we all know and love.
Whether you’re a kitchen-line assassin, a third-shot-drop devotee, or a tennis refugee who secretly prefers the smaller court and bigger laughs, this one looks like it was made for us.
When It’s Dropping & How to Watch
Trailer: Released today (June 23, 2026). You can watch it right now on YouTube below. It’s a quick, punchy ride packed with pickleball gags, family tension, and plenty of paddle drama.
Movie: Premieres globally on Friday, July 24, 2026, exclusively on Apple TV+. To watch the full film, you’ll need an Apple TV+ subscription. It streams worldwide the same day — perfect timing for a post-round watch party with your doubles crew.
10 Facts About The Dink (From What We Know So Far)
Here are ten things we’ve pieced together from official announcements, cast reveals, and the fresh trailer:
- The title is pure pickleball. “The Dink” refers to the game’s signature soft, controlled shot that frustrates power players — and in the movie, it becomes the perfect metaphor for pickleball quietly taking over a traditional tennis club.
- Jake Johnson is our reluctant hero. The New Girl star plays Dusty Boyd, a washed-up former tennis prodigy now stuck coaching unruly kids at his father’s suburban country club.
- Mary Steenburgen steals his heart (and his game). She plays Candace, Dusty’s new pickleball partner who shows him that the sport might actually be more fun — and a lot less pretentious — than the game he grew up with.
- Ed Harris plays the anti-pickleball dad. Harris is Chuck Boyd, Dusty’s father and the club’s stubborn patriarch who’s waging an all-out war against the “new fad” invading his precious tennis courts.
- Directed by a proven comedy filmmaker. Josh Greenbaum (who gave us the gloriously weird Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) is calling the shots, so expect big laughs with genuine heart.
- Written by a Workaholics alum. Sean Clements (Workaholics) penned the script, which means sharp, quotable dialogue and plenty of relatable sports-world absurdity.
- Ben Stiller is all in. Stiller produces through his Red Hour Films banner and also appears on screen as a doctor. Jake Johnson is producing too — so the comedy pedigree is stacked.
- Real tennis legends cameo as themselves. Andy Roddick and John McEnroe show up, bringing authentic old-school tennis energy and the perfect foil for pickleball’s rise.
- It’s a classic underdog redemption story. Dusty breaks his “sacred vow” never to play pickleball after an injury sidelines his tennis career. What starts as rehab quickly turns into something deeper: saving the club, earning his dad’s respect, and rediscovering who he really is.
- The trailer already has the pickleball community buzzing. Early clips show Dusty dramatically tossing a pickleball into the trash, getting schooled by older players, and slowly — begrudgingly — falling for the game’s quirky rules, including that infamous non-volley zone we all love to argue about.
“This is a tennis club, lady!”
Why This Matters for Pickleball
The Dink arrives right as our sport keeps exploding. With tens of millions of players worldwide and no signs of slowing down, mainstream movies like this help normalize what we already know: pickleball isn’t just a fad — it’s a genuine, joyful, community-driven phenomenon that welcomes everyone from 8 to 80.
Sure, the movie leans into the friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) rivalry between tennis traditionalists and pickleball converts. But at its core, it celebrates what we love most: the laughter on court, the unexpected friendships, and the way a simple paddle and plastic ball can completely change someone’s life.