God Help Us, Air Bud Is Getting a Meta Legacy Sequel, Air Bud Returns
We know what you’ve been asking yourself: With the world burning around us, teetering on the brink of collapse, where have all the sports-playing dogs gone? Back in the 2000s and 2010s, we were assured a steady flow of direct-to-video Air Bud sequels and franchise extensions, but they finally petered out a mere seven films into the Air Buddies series, with 2013’s Super Buddies. Isn’t it about time for a slavish legacy sequel that “gets back to the roots” of the franchise? And as it turns out: Yes, it is exactly that time. Our darkest timeline will soon be graced with Air Bud Returns, which is not only a new entry in the series from studio Air Bud Entertainment and distributor Cineverse, but one apparently ticketed for wide theatrical release in the summer of 2026, according to today’s joint press release. Oh, and have we mentioned that this is a meta legacy sequel, which apparently takes place in a world where the original Air Bud film exists? According to the same 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!
Yes, you read that right: This movie is about a kid discovering a VHS tape (presented like a clay tablet with hieroglyphics, no doubt) of 1997’s Air Bud, and then ever-so-coincidentally subsequently discovering a new golden retriever who he can rename “Buddy” and then teach to play basketball, just as in that film. If the kid had found a Dalmatian, do you think he would have been forced to paint it golden, in order to cram a square dog into a round narrative hole? Don’t worry, though, the film “isn’t just another sequel or remake,” according to Air Bud Entertainment founder Robert Vince, who goes on to say that “this movie will engage nostalgic Air Bud fans while introducing a new generation to the beloved basketball-playing golden retriever, Buddy. It builds upon the legacy of the OG Air Bud with all the fun, the magic, heartwarming scenes, and Buddy playing basketball. More than anything, it’s a deeply human story about a dog and boy, centered on themes of adaptation, redemption, and teamwork.”
