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This Beloved Kids’ Movie Icon Is Returning After More Than a Decade

“There ain’t no rules says a dog can’t play basketball.”

Good news everyone, Air Bud is back. The world is healing.

Air Bud Entertainment (yes, apparently there is a production company for these films) just announced that a new movie in the canine franchise is currently in the works.

Titled Air Bud Returns, the film follows 12-year-old Jacob, an aspiring basketball player whose dreams are derailed after his father’s death. Forced to move with his mother into his late father’s childhood home, Jacob struggles to adjust until he meets a stray golden retriever, who he names Buddy. Unbeknownst to Jacob, this chance encounter with the Buddy will change his life.

The first Air Bud film was distributed by Disney and premiered in 1997. At the time, critics gave the film mixed reviews. Although some (correct) people appreciated the movie’s silliness, others were not so generous, describing it as “dubious" at best.

Despite its Rotten Tomato score, Air Bud became a cult-favorite in the family-friendly genre, eventually spawning 13 more films about the athletic dog. Air Bud Returns will be the 15th in the franchise and will see the return of the movies’ original creator and director, Robert Vince.

It’s been over a decade since an Air Bud film dunked onto our small and big screens, but the love for the hoop-shooting dog has not quieted down.

“Cinema is saved,” an X user wrote, reacting to the news about a new Air Bud movie.

Another person posted a montage of LeBron James’ dunking the ball, along with the caption: “Air Bud when it comes time to dunk on a bunch of high school kids.”

Sadly, some fans realized that, after a 12-year Air Bud hiatus, there is no way this Buddy is the same as their Buddy.

The original Buddy died in 1998, just one year after Air Bud’s release. Rest in peace little guy, we hope you are still shooting hoops in heaven.

For the film’s 25th anniversary in 2022, Disney dedicated a post to the beloved dog.

Producers have slated the film for a summer 2026 release.

Does Air Bud still got it? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Clare DonaldsonEditorial Intern

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