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It's Official: Two Golden Retrievers Named as Next Air Bud Stars

Mary Simpson
by Mary Simpson
Published:  September 30th, 2025

Golden Retrievers enter nationwide casting call to be the next Buddy in super-popular Air Bud franchise.

(photo credit: Karen Culp / shutterstock.com)

Can we all agree that those follow-ups to blockbuster movies are usually sort of meh?


While some filmmakers can pull it off - thinking the action-packed Mission Impossible franchise or uber-classic Star Trek series - most are simply jumping a shark (Google it) with the faint hope of scoring a lucrative comeback by using a previously proven formula.


Not so, with the Air Bud series. If you’ve never seen any of the 13 sequels to the original 1997 movie, it’s binge-worthy. And with winter coming, the inclination to want to settle in on the sofa with Rover on one side and a big bowl of popcorn on your lap is upon us. Just sayin’.


Now, if you have been following the series since the first Air Bud dropped 25+ years ago, you literally grew up with the characters of Josh and Buddy, the Golden Retriever who has a knack for jumping higher and sinking more balls, than basketball legend, Michael Jordan. Yes, it’s been the perfect movie for kids, parents, pet parents, and even sports enthusiasts for over a generation.


So, with fans past and present in mind, the creators of the Air Bud franchise decided to take their call-out nationwide for the next generation of Buddy, the basketball-playing dog.


No surprise, the response was overwhelming, with over 5,000 Golden Retrievers sending in tapes for the audition. Now, anyone who’s met a Golden knows that there is no “bad” Golden. They’re all people-pleasing cuddlers who thrive on attention and are keen to perform whatever tasks you throw their way. And that leads to the question of how the casting crew could ever decide on which of the 5,000+ happy, wagging wannabes was the “one”.


It started with the individual video submissions that showcased each of the 5,000 dogs’ unique personalities and attributes. After days of poring over the individual clips, the search was narrowed to just 30. According to director Robert Vince, “We weren’t just looking for well-trained dogs — we were looking for that special spark.”


And they found it with a pooch named Charlie from Ohio… as well as a California native, named Summer. Yes, Bud A and Bud B both had the “it” factor that Air Bud Entertainment had been chasing. Vince confirms the dogs brought the personality as well as the basketball skills to “make audiences believe in Buddy all over again. They carry the magic that made the original so unforgettable.”


This next Air Bud movie drops in Fall 2026, and methinks it won’t be the last. So, if you think your Golden has what it takes to be the next Buddy… you may want to start shooting a few hoops with him now.


WOW
Mary Simpson
Mary Simpson

Sharing space with three seriously judgy Schnoodles and 2 felines who prefers to be left alone. #LivingMyBestLife

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