The basketball-loving dog is back, and this time Air Bud will taking a meta approach.
Cineverse and Air Bud Entertainment announced Air Bud Returns, written and directed by Robert Vince, the founder of Air Bud Entertainment and director ten of the fifteen previous entries. He’s served as producer on all of the original films, including franchise spinoffs like Santa Paws.
“Anyone who follows the box office knows that we are experiencing an important moment at the intersection of ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia and millennial parents looking for family-friendly movies to share with their kids,” Cineverse chief motion pictures officer Yolanda Macias said in a statement. “With the return of an iconic franchise that has remained popular since Robert created the OG Air Bud more than 28 years ago, we are offering a real treat that will resonate with fans across generations. This is the ideal first project for us as we expand our theatrical strategy to the kids and family category.”
Per the press release, “In Air Bud Returns, 12-year-old Jacob has always dreamt of being a star basketball player. After the passing of his father, that dream felt even more impossible. But everything changes when he and his mom move into his dad’s childhood home in Fernfield. There, Jacob discovers an original VHS of the ‘Air Bud’ movie in his father’s belongings and has a chance meeting of a stray golden retriever he names Buddy. Together, they embark on a journey of healing, unite a team of misfits, and chase a championship. Through it all, they learn to play from the heart, believe in each other, and always take the shot!”
The film is set to begin filming this summer in Fort Langley, British Columbia, where the original was also shot. Air Bud Returns has been set for a summer 2026 release.
