Johnny Knoxville Leads Rehab Softball Team to Glory in ‘Sweet Dreams’ Preview

After years of leading the stunt comedy franchise Jackass to the heights of fame, Johnny Knoxville is now set to lead a new team of misfits to glory with his new comedy-drama Sweet Dreams. The uplifting Paramount Pictures film stars Knoxville as Morris, an alcoholic living in the Sweet Dreams recovery center with his fellow addicts and hoping to turn his life around. When the facility’s house goes up for auction, however, he’s thrust into the role of coach for the center’s softball team and leads them in a competition to earn the money needed to save their home. Ahead of the film’s release on digital platforms tomorrow, Collider can share an extended preview with over eight minutes of footage showing the « Sweet Creams » in action.

The preview begins with a montage showing the rehab members horsing around and practicing for the competition under Morris’s leadership. Their dynamic together is strong as they crack jokes, laugh at each other’s flubs in the field, and try to come up with a motto. Working with his new friends has also done wonders for Morris’s recovery, in addition to preparing them to push for that $80,000 prize. By the time of their first game, they’re somewhat ready to play ball, even if their jerseys have an unfortunate typo. Their first opponent, led by an old friend of Morris who recounts his old drinking escapades, shows up wasted and down a player, giving the « Sweet Creams » a win by default. Against Morris’s wishes, however, the team decides they still want to play, leading to a rowdy game that ultimately ends in a scuffle between the two squads.

Sweet Dreams promises some of the same R-rated comedy of Knoxville’s previous films, like Bad Grandpa and Action Point. Raunchy humor is found throughout the preview, but the film also lets the stuntman show off his range with its more dramatic elements covering addiction and the struggles of confronting one’s faults. Friendship and support systems are also key, as Knoxville’s Morris forms close bonds and experiences the road to recovery alongside his fellow addicts. The Peanut Butter Falcon producer Lije Sarki writes and directs for what marks his third feature film following Alphonso Bow and Concrete Kids.

Who Joins Knoxville in ‘Sweet Dreams’?

Surrounding Knoxville is a strong group including fellow comedians and plenty of other stars. Sweet Dreams marks Kate Upton‘s first role in a feature since 2017 when she appeared in the William H. Macy-helmed The Layover opposite Alexandra Daddario. Also starring are Bobby Lee, Brian Van Holt, Jay Mohr, GaTa, Mo Amer, Theo Von, Jonnie Park, Shakewell, Adam Faison, Erik Anthony Gonzalez, and Beth Grant, among others.

Sweet Dreamsarrives on digital platforms tomorrow, April 16. Check out our exclusive preview above.