Just when you thought they’d exhausted every ’90s property for a revival, the basketball-playing golden retriever, Air Bud, will return to cinema screens next year. The original Disney Air Bud movie in 1997 was a surprise hit, and led to 15 direct-to-video movies. But with Air Bud returning for a big screen reboot in 2026, they’re looking for the right pooch to take over the mantle of Buddy. Production company Cineverse and Air Bud Entertainment have announced a nationwide talent search to discover the next golden retriever to shoot hoops. Are you that lucky dog owner?
The studios are inviting dog owners from all across the country to submit their purebred golden retrievers to audition. To take part in the search, participants only need to visit the official Air Bud site. Even if your dog doesn’t make the cut, every submission becomes eligible to win different prizes, like Air Bud jerseys and signed movie merchandise. Maybe even a trip to the premiere in Hollywood. This movie comes out only a year from now, in summer 2026. So we can’t imagine it’s going to take the production that long to find a new all-star canine.
Here’s the official synopsis for Air Bud Returns:
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 neglected 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!
So it’s a meta sequel, where the original Air Bud is a movie within the universe. I guess it’s better than explaining how a dog from the ’90s somehow survived for thirty years. Will American children become gripped with Air Bud mania all over again? We’ll find out when Air Bud Returns hits theaters next summer.
Content shared from nerdist.com.