Universal’s upcoming romantic comedy The Catch has added Academy Award winners Tim Robbins and Sissy Spacek to its growing ensemble cast led by Emma Stone and Chris Pine. The film is scheduled to begin shooting in New York next month and is currently set for release on May 21, 2027. The project also marks Robbins’ first feature film role since Todd Haynes’ Dark Waters in 2019.
Described as “Bull Durham meets Notting Hill,” The Catch is a baseball-themed romantic comedy starring Emma Stone as a woman who is reportedly the most hated person in the world of baseball, while Chris Pine plays a professional baseball player. Beyond that premise, plot details remain tightly under wraps. The screenplay was originally written by Patrick Kang and Michael Levin, with the latest draft by Jen Statsky and Travis Helwig.
Tim Robbins is set to play Emma Stone’s father, while Sissy Spacek will portray her aunt. The addition of two Academy Award-winning actors further strengthens an already notable ensemble cast.
Stone and Pine lead the film alongside Saturday Night Live cast member Ashley Padilla, who joined the sketch comedy series in 2024 and is making one of her first major studio film appearances. Comedian Druski has also joined the cast as Stone’s security guard following his recent feature film appearances. With Robbins and Spacek now on board, The Catch continues to assemble an impressive supporting ensemble.
Robbins’ casting carries added significance given his connection to the film’s baseball setting. The actor made his breakthrough in the acclaimed 1988 baseball comedy Bull Durham, starring opposite Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. Since The Catch has been described as “Bull Durham meets Notting Hill,” his involvement creates a fitting full-circle moment for one of baseball cinema’s most recognizable actors.
Over the course of his career, Robbins has built one of Hollywood’s most respected filmographies, earning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mystic River. His credits also include The Shawshank Redemption, Jacob’s Ladder, The Player, and Bull Durham. While his last feature film appearance came in Dark Waters (2019), Robbins has remained active on television with prominent roles in Apple TV+’s Silo and Hulu’s Castle Rock.
Spacek, meanwhile, continues to balance film and television projects. The Academy Award-winning actress, best known for Coal Miner’s Daughter and Carrie, most recently appeared alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Die My Love and starred opposite Michelle Williams in Hulu’s limited series Dying for Sex. Her addition brings another veteran performer to the film’s expanding cast.
The Catch is being directed by Dave McCary, the former Saturday Night Live segment director, who also happens to be Emma Stone’s husband. Stone is producing the film through her production company Fruit Tree, which has a first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine are producing through 21 Laps Entertainment, the company behind projects including Deadpool & Wolverine, Free Guy, and Stranger Things.
Production is scheduled to begin in New York next month ahead of the film’s May 21, 2027 theatrical release. With an acclaimed creative team, a growing ensemble led by Emma Stone and Chris Pine, and the addition of Oscar winners Tim Robbins and Sissy Spacek, The Catch continues to emerge as one of Universal’s most notable original romantic comedies currently in development.
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