EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Chris Fleming (HBO’s Live at the Palace) and Irina Shayk (Hercules) have inked deals to join The Catch, Universal Pictures‘ new baseball-themed romantic comedy starring Emma Stone and Chris Pine.
Character and plot details for The Catch remain under wraps. Fleming remains in the fold at Universal after being tapped for a role alongside a murderer’s row of fellow comics in their Judd Apatow/Glen Powell comedy The Comeback King, out February 5.
Dave McCary is directing The Catch from a script draft by Jen Statsky and Travis Helwig. Others in the cast include Tim Robbins, Sissy Spacek, Ashley Padilla and Druski, as previously announced.
Originating as a spec from Patrick Kang and Michael Levin, the film will be produced by Stone, McCary and Ali Herting through Fruit Tree’s first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine will produce through 21 Laps, along with Michael H. Weber, with Robin Fisichella exec producing.
Senior Executive Vice President of Production Development Erik Baiers and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing The Catch for Universal. The film is slated for release in theaters on May 21, 2027.
One of today’s buzziest young comics, Fleming just headlined multiple shows at Just for Laughs Montreal, where he received the Comedy Performance of the Year Award. He’s the rare young comic to break through at the Emmys with a special, having been nominated this year for his HBO hour Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace.
As a stand-up, Fleming has toured theaters nationwide with Chris Fleming Live, Showpig, Boba Everyday and Tricky Tricky. His debut stand-up special Hell, produced by Jax and Jen Statsky, is streaming on Peacock. Recently seen on Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, he’s also been seen on shows like Abbott Elementary and Loot, as well as in the film The Last Laugh, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Chevy Chase. He is repped by Mosaic, WME and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Shayk is a supermodel and actress who made her feature film debut opposite Dwayne Johnson in Paramount Pictures’ 2014 take on Hercules. Over the course of her career, she has appeared on more than 150 magazine covers, including over 50 editions of Vogue, making history as the first Russian model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit issue. Shayk has also fronted global campaigns for many of the world’s leading luxury houses and is repped by Society Management NY and Nue Group.
