Air Bud Returns Takes Athletic Golden Retriever to a New Basketball Court in 2026

Everyone’s favorite athletic canine is coming back for a sequel with Air Bud Returns next summer.

The dog lovers behind Air Bud Entertainment and Cineverse announced another sequel in its line of sports-playing dog movies today. It’s an announcement of distribution rights for the latter that will see Air Bud Returns bouncing its way to theaters sometime in the summer of 2026.

Air Bud Entertainment and Cineverse say their goal is for the new Air Bud movie to spark a “potentially long-term collaboration,” but the two entities stop short of spelling out what other projects could arrive in the future. while no plot or casting details have been revealed, we at least know Air Bud Returns will tell a unique story in the puppy-centered cinematic universe, and, most importantly, it stars a Golden Retriever.

“In Air Bud Returns, 12-year old Jacob has always dreamt of being a star basketball player,” an official description says. “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!”

Robert Vince, producer for the original 1997 Air Bud and all of its many sequels, has stepped up as writer and director for Air Bud Returns. In a statement, he teased a film that tells a “deeply human story” with themes of “adaptation, redemption, and teamwork.”

“Air Bud Returns isn’t just another sequel or remake — it’s a unique story,” Vince said. “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.”

Air Bud emerged as the movie world’s first basketball-playing Golden Retriever in the late ‘90s and quickly spawned a litter of sequels. These range from its original 1998 follow-up, Air Bud: Golden Receiver, all the way to the Air Buddies spinoffs, which include projects like 2009’s Space Buddies, 2012’s Treasure Buddies, and 2013’s Super Buddies. Including the Santa Paws franchise, there are 14 films in total, with Vince writing and directing 10 of them.

Air Bud Returns has no release date outside of its summer theatrical 2026 window. For more, you can read our 6/10 review of the original movie’s Special Edition DVD release. You can also see where Air Bud falls on our list of the 13 best basketball movies.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).