There’s nothing in the rule book that says a dog can’t play basketball, and there’s nothing in there that says you can’t keep making more Air Bud movies either.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, production is underway on Air Bud Returns, a planned 2026 theatrical release that “continues the legacy of 1997’s original Air Bud.”
Air Bud, released in 1997, spawned a franchise of films about a sports-playing golden retriever named Buddy, and eventually an offshoot franchise of Air Buddies, featuring Buddy’s talking golden retriever puppies.
Air Bud Returns focuses on 12-year-old Jacob (Artis), an aspiring basketball player coping with the recent loss of his dad. After he and his mom (Ifeachor) move to his dad’s childhood home in Fernfield, Jacob discovers a VHS tape of his dad playing basketball on the same court as a hoops-shooting golden retriever. Soon, Jacob begins his own adventure with a neglected golden retriever that he names Buddy.
The original series became a cult classic and spawned four direct sequels in which Buddy played football, soccer, baseball, and volleyball. Air Bud Returns brings the action back to the basketball court.
“Air Bud Returns focuses on 12-year-old Jacob (Artis), an aspiring basketball player coping with the recent loss of his dad,” writes THR’s Ryan Gajewski. “After he and his mom (Ifeachor) move to his dad’s childhood home in Fernfield, Jacob discovers a VHS tape of his dad playing basketball on the same court as a hoops-shooting golden retriever. Soon, Jacob begins his own adventure with a neglected golden retriever that he names Buddy.”
The film stars Aydin Artis (Blue’s Clues & You), Tracy Ifeachor (The Pitt), Edwin Lee Gibson (The Bear), Tyler Labine (New Amsterdam), Erik Gow (Yellowjackets), and Maxim Swinton (Bookie), and is helmed by writer-director Robert Vince, who was a producer on all of the original films, writing and directing ten of them.
Shockingly, Peter Herbstreit is not involved in the project.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.