Naman Shrestha
Helmed by Josh Greenbaum, Apple TV’s ‘The Dink’ is a sports comedy movie starring Jake Johnson as Dusty Boyd, an aging and washed-up tennis prodigy who serves as a children’s tennis coach at the Mountain Crest Tennis Club, a struggling country club owned by his father, Chuck. To earn his father’s approval and respect, Dusty also shares a deep hatred for pickleball and its growing popularity. Nicknamed “Da Hammer,” Dusty finds himself in a tough spot when an old injury resurfaces and prevents him from playing tennis. Now, for rehabilitation, his doctor recommends doing what he despises — playing pickleball.
As he practices and learns the sport with his partner, Candace, it grows on him and he begins to enjoy it. While Dusty aims to save his father’s dying country club by playing pickleball, he comes face-to-face with his childhood rival, Andy Roddick. In the end, he must also decide whether his father’s approval than his own identity. The sporty adventure of Dusty unfolds mostly on the fictional Mountain Crest Tennis Club, where his hatred for pickleball turns into passion while he recovers from an old injury.
The Dink Filming Locations
Production on ‘The Dink’ was reportedly conducted entirely in California, particularly in and around Los Angeles. Principal photography for the Josh Greenbaum directorial reportedly commenced in the first week of November 2024 and continued for a month or so before wrapping in December of the same year. Kat Bardot, the Makeup Department Head, expressed her gratitude of being a part of the project. She stated, “Thank you @benstiller for recommending me to department head this truly hilarious script by @seanclements. It was such an honor to get to work with @josh.greenbaum @mrjakejohnson and the rest of this incredible cast. I will forever carry the smile of Lynne Marie Stewart in my heart. My team was the best a girl could ask for @mabbymakeup & @maryklimek.”
Los Angeles, California
For the purpose of filming, the production team of ‘The Dink’ moved across several spots in the sprawling city of Los Angeles, situated in Southern California. In particular, many scenes were taped in the affluent neighborhood of Hancock Park in the Wilshire area in November 2024. Renowned for its well-preserved historic mansions that display Tudor, Spanish, and Mediterranean architectural styles, it offered a backdrop that complemented the upscale visual atmosphere surrounding the world of Dusty Boyd. Since the story unfolds around the sports of tennis and pickleball, many key sequences were recorded on tennis courts across the City of Angels.
A portion of the filming also took place in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. The cast and crew visited Riverside Medical Building at 13320 Riverside Drive to lens a few scenes. Oaks Community Compounding Pharmacy in Sherman Oaks, at 13322 Riverside Drive, and the area surrounding the store also served as shooting locations for the pickleball-themed comedy film. As Dusty Boyd navigates competition, ambition, and personal ups and downs, the Apple TV production makes use of backdrops that authentically showcase the environment at the heart of the narrative.
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