AIR BUD RETURNS creator Robert Vince promises heart, humor, and big-screen magic.
One of the most heartfelt moments from my first trip to CinemaCon came during a conversation with Robert Vince, the creator of Air Bud, while the newest Buddy, Roscoe, calmly sat beside him, charming everyone nearby.
For many people who grew up in the 1990s, Air Bud was never just another kids’ movie. It became part of childhood. The story of a basketball-playing Golden Retriever mixed sports, comedy, and surprisingly emotional storytelling into a film that still resonates nearly three decades later.
Now, Buddy is officially returning to theaters.
AIR BUD RETURNS arrives in theaters on Jan. 22, 2027, marking a major theatrical relaunch for the beloved franchise. The film introduces a new story and new characters while honoring the original movie that launched one of the biggest family entertainment franchises of the last 30 years.
“Yeah, I mean, this is the whole thing for us,” Vince told Nerdtropolis during our CinemaCon interview. “Create an event that you could bring your kids to, and maybe bring your dad, who took you, or your mom, to the movie theater, both. So we want this to be a family event. And it’s a quintessential family movie.”
That line hit home for me instantly because Vince completely nailed my experience with the original film.
I was one of those kids.
Air Bud became part of my childhood and fueled two things I still love today: basketball and Golden Retrievers. Basketball was a sport I played throughout most of my youth and adult life, and the movie also sparked my obsession with Golden Retrievers.
Ironically, I almost had one as a kid.
During a previous 2023 interview with Nerdtropolis, I told Vince my dad once brought home a Golden Retriever puppy before my mom ultimately said no.
That memory still sticks with me all these years later, which honestly says everything about the emotional impact Air Bud had on an entire generation.
Robert Vince Wants AIR BUD RETURNS to Feel Special in Theaters
Vince repeatedly emphasized that AIR BUD RETURNS is designed as a true theatrical family event rather than simply another reboot.
The filmmaker said the movie will still feature the heart, humor, basketball action, and uplifting themes audiences expect from the franchise while introducing an entirely new story.
“It’s got all the heart and humor and fun basketball action and all that,” Vince said. “But it also has messages that we put forward in all our movies. But it’s all new characters. It’s an all-new story. I think it might blow you away.”
That emotional sincerity has always separated Air Bud from other family films.
During our earlier 2023 interview, Vince reflected on why the original movie connected so deeply with audiences.
“It’s not just about a dog that plays basketball,” Vince said at the time. “It really has a lot of heart and gravitas, which is why it stood the test of time.”
AIR BUD RETURNS Will Honor the Original Movie
Longtime fans should also expect plenty of callbacks and Easter eggs.
When I asked Vince whether original fans would spot hidden references to the first movie, he immediately teased some surprises.
“Oh yeah. I promise,” Vince said.
He even referenced one of the most infamous moments from the original film.
“There might have been something that scared kids in the original,” Vince joked while alluding to the clown sequence.
Naturally, I had to ask the important follow-up.
“Is there any pudding in this one?” I joked.
“Maybe,” Vince laughed.
The pudding scene remains one of the franchise’s most memorable moments, and Vince revealed during our 2023 interview that the production actually used vanilla pudding instead of chocolate because chocolate is unsafe for dogs.
More importantly, Vince stressed that he wants AIR BUD RETURNS to respect what audiences loved about the original film.
“I’m not afraid of the callbacks,” Vince said. “I really want to honor the original movie, make it a fun experience for everybody, get everybody off their couches and into the movie theaters where you get to experience something incredible.”
The Original Buddy Was Truly One of a Kind
One of the best parts of speaking with Vince is hearing how passionately he still talks about the original Buddy.
During our 2023 conversation, Vince recalled first discovering the famous basketball-playing dog after watching David Letterman’s “Stupid Pet Tricks.”
After tracking down Buddy and his owner, Kevin DiCicco, Vince watched the dog spend over an hour draining basketball shots from around the court.
“It was like, wow, like, this is beyond amazing,” Vince recalled.
The filmmaker later admitted they did not fully realize how extraordinary Buddy actually was until after the dog passed away.
“We knew he was special, but we didn’t know he was that special,” Vince said. “It was like having the Michael Jordan of dogs on your set.”
That authenticity became the magic of the original movie because Buddy genuinely loved basketball.
Vince even remembered moments where Buddy became distracted by basketballs during filming.
“Way off at the end of the gym,” Vince recalled, “some kid just tossing a basketball. He couldn’t care less about the tennis ball anymore.”
AIR BUD Still Connects Emotionally With Audiences
While many fans remember the comedy and sports action, Vince believes the emotional storytelling helped the franchise endure for generations.
One scene still stands out above the rest.
During our 2023 interview, Vince recalled screening unfinished footage for Disney executives, including the heartbreaking sequence where Josh tells Buddy to go away.
“If I’m going to cry watching that scene, the audience is going to cry watching the scene,” Vince remembered hearing from studio executives.
That emotional core remains essential to the franchise today.
Air Bud Entertainment has now produced more than 23 movies and four television series across nearly three decades, including the Air Bud, Air Buddies, Santa Paws, Pup Star, and Pup Academy franchises.
Still, Buddy remains the heart of it all.
Robert Vince Teases More AIR BUD Stories Ahead
Vince also hinted that AIR BUD RETURNS may only be the beginning of another major chapter for the franchise.
During our CinemaCon conversation, Vince said plans have shifted away from animation for now because he felt there was already “too much animation out there.” Instead, he revealed that he wants to explore a live-action series at some point.
“We are going to do a live-action series,” Vince said.
Vince also teased that he has another movie in mind after AIR BUD RETURNS and revealed he wrote two movies around the same time.
“There’s another movie I want to do after this one,” Vince said. “So I wrote two movies, more or less at the same time.”
Whatever comes next, it is clear Vince understands exactly why audiences still care about Air Bud after all these years.
Film Details
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2027
Directed by: Robert Vince
Written by: Robert Vince
Cast: Aydin Artis, Tracy Ifeachor, Edwin Lee Gibson, Tyler Labine, Erik Gow, Maxim Swinton
Studio: Air Bud Entertainment
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
