Tim Robbins ends 7-year movie hiatus, joining Emma Stone and Chris Pine

If you had 'Tim Robbins returns to cinema as Emma Stone's dad in a romantic comedy about baseball' on your film industry bingo card, congratulations — you've just won a free sigh from me. Universal Pictures has pulled together quite a lineup for a new project called The Catch, and there are plenty of eyebrow-raising details, so let's break it all down.

Tim Robbins: Off the Bench After Seven Years

For anyone thinking Tim Robbins had quietly retired after his run of iconic roles — think 'The Shawshank Redemption', 'Jacobs Ladder', or 'Mystic River' — think again. His last film? That was back in 2019's fact-based thriller Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway. Since then, Robbins largely disappeared from movie screens but did crop up on TV in Apple TV+'s dystopian sci-fi favourite Silo (if you missed it, Rebecca Ferguson led the way and it's already picked up for a third season).

The Catch: Romantic Comedy With a Baseball Twist

So what exactly lured Robbins back onto the big screen? That would be The Catch — Universal's latest attempt at the sort of crowd-pleaser that gets called things like 'Bull Durham meets Notting Hill' by people who have far too much time for elevator pitches. Dave McCary, whose background is mostly sketch comedy, is in the director’s chair.

Detailed plot info remains a tight-lipped secret (because of course it does), but here's what's out in the wild so far:

• Emma Stone plays 'the most hated woman in baseball' — a phrase which already sounds like something from a snappy marketing deck, but apparently that's the character brief.
• Chris Pine is on board as a baseball player — no further specifics yet, just 'baseball player', so your guess is as good as mine for now.
• Tim Robbins is signed up to play Stone's father. That's one way to highlight the family tension, I suppose.
• Sissy Spacek joins as Pine's aunt. If you're thinking that's a strong bit of casting for what might turn out to be a light role, you're not wrong. Most recently, Spacek popped up in the 2025 horror-drama Die My Love with Jennifer Lawrence, so she's keeping it varied.

Recent CVs and What To Expect

As a quick reminder on where the cast has been:

Emma Stone’s last big screen outing was the much-lauded sci-fi comedy Bugonia, which netted her a Best Actress Oscar nomination in 2026. Chris Pine meanwhile was seen earlier this year in Carousel (opposite Jenny Slate and Sam Waterston), and next up, he’ll be taking a swing at producing and starring in action thriller Run the Night.

Start Dates, Location, and Release Plans

Cameras are due to roll next month in New York, which seems to be everyone’s favourite city for blending baseball romantic whimsy and slightly odd family dynamics. As for when the results of all this will land in cinemas, Universal has tapped 21 May 2027 for the theatrical release — so, time to mark (or possibly roll) your eyes at yet another far-off date in your diary.

'Bull Durham meets Notting Hill' — that’s how those in the know are selling this one, which frankly sounds just unhinged enough to work.