EXCLUSIVE: Canadian producer Robert Vince has brought on London-based sales outfit Capture to launch international talks on family feature Air Bud Returns at TIFF: The Market (September 10-16).
Rights to the property about Buddy the basketball-playing dog have reverted to Vince, nearly 30 years after he and his brother William Vance licensed them to Disney. The studio went on to release 14 films, starting with the North American release of Air Bud in August 1997, which grossed $23.1m or $48m in today’s terms.
Air Bud Returns is described as a new chapter in the Air Bud franchise featuring Buddy and a new cast of real dogs. Cineverse holds US rights to Air Bud Returns and will release on January 22, 2027.
“Air Bud is one of those rare franchises that has remained instantly recognisable and beloved across generations,” said Ella Field of Capture, the joint venture between Capstone Global and Signature Entertainment. “There is huge affection for Buddy around the world, and Air Bud Returns combines that nostalgia with the opportunity to introduce the franchise to a whole new generation of families.”
“My brother William and I made the original Air Bud independently in Canada,” Vince said. “We couldn’t possibly have imagined that one movie would become a global franchise and still be part of pop culture nearly 30 years later. We’re returning to where we started: independent. And bringing Buddy back home. For the first time in the franchise, Air Bud Returns is available for international distributors to acquire the distribution rights.”
Disney released Air Bud: Golden Receiver through its then subsidiary Miramax in 1998 for a $10.2m box office take, and in total released 14 features – five Air Bud, seven Air Buddie, and two Santa Paws films. Vince produced every title in the franchise and directed and wrote or co-wrote 11, including the upcoming 15th film.
Vince’s Air Bud Entertainment said the franchise has generated more than $950m in worldwide revenue across all platforms adjusted for inflation, reaching 190 countries in more than 30 languages. The producer claims the original Air Bud has been seen by more than one billion viewers worldwide.
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