'The Catch' lands release date as Emma Stone and Chris Pine team up for romantic comedy
Rom-com renaissance is upon us. Chris Pine and Emma Stone will reportedly link up for a romantic comedy titled 'The Catch,' as per Deadline. The movie will be financed by Universal Pictures and directed by Dave McCary. Plot details have been kept under wraps, but it is largely believed to be a two-hander. Patrick Kang and Michael Levin penned the movie's script, and its recent drafts came from Jen Statsky (Hacks) and Travis Helwig. The movie will apparently go on floors sometime in late 2026 with a release date set for May 21, 2027. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine will serve as producers of the movie through their company, 21 Laps. They will be joined by Michael H. Weber, Stone, McCary, and Ali Herting. Robin Fisichella is also attached as an executive producer.
For those unaware, McCary is Emma Stone's husband and a celebrated 'Saturday Night Live' (SNL) director and writer. McCary made his directorial debut in 2017 with 'Brigsby Bear.' Stone, McCary, and Herting have a production label called Fruit Tree, which is also involved in the project. Through their label, the trio has previously produced ventures like 'When You Finish Saving the World (2022),' 'The Curse (2023),' 'I Saw The TV Glow' and 'A Real Pain (2024).' In 2024, the company signed a first-look deal with Universal Pictures. Stone was reportedly looking into many projects to allocate her fall dates. Once the latest script of 'The Catch' arrived at her table, the Oscar-winning actress turned all her attention towards it. As per Just Jared, Pine came on board in February. This is the first time the two A-listers will come together for a movie.
The actors, though, are no strangers to romantic comedies. Stone stunned everyone with her performance in genre staples like 'Crazy Stupid Love,' 'Easy A' and 'Aloha,' while Pine made women swoon with his turn in 2004's 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.' Social media went berserk a few days ago when author Meg Cabot confirmed that Pine will return in the highly anticipated third part. If everything goes according to plan, this will be Stone's first feature film since 'Bugonia,' for which she earned an Academy Award nomination and became the youngest woman to earn seven Oscar nominations. Pine's last big screen venture was 'Poolman', released in the United States on May 10, 2024.
Along with ‘The Catch,’ 2027 will see many big-ticket romances, such as M. Night Shyamalan and Nicholas Sparks’ ‘Remain’ and Glen Powell’s ‘The Comeback King.’ The projects adhere to recent industry trends, which are steadily prioritizing big-budget romantic movies, especially after the success of 2023’s ‘Anyone But You.’
