Watch the next ‘Air Bud.’ Charlie from Ohio is among dogs in sequel
Charlie, a lovable and cannonball of a canine in Jackson Township, is expected to get a lot of screen time in “Air Bud Returns” in 2026.
- Charlie, a golden retriever from Jackson Township, is back home after filming “Air Bud Returns.”
- The 3-year-old purebred is among four golden retrievers being featured in the film.
- “Air Bud Returns,” a reboot and sequel of the 1997 original, “Air Bud,” is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2026.
JACKSON TWP. − Charlie the golden retriever has become a celebrity before he even gallops across the big screen next year in the new “Air Bud” movie.
A mailman insisted that he get to meet the lovable and athletic pooch. Another fan handwrote a letter to Sara Wilson, who owns Charlie, along with her husband, son and daughter. People also congratulated the family when Sara was attending a high school sporting event.
Bigger yet is a professionally made sign stretching across the front yard of Charlie’s home on Braucher Street NW.
“Welcome Home Air Bud,” it declares in glittery blue-and-white lettering. Adorning the reusable corrugated plastic yard sign are decorative stars, a clapperboard, basketballs, “Superstar,” “Nothing but Net” and “MVP.”
Charlie returned in mid-November from seven weeks of filming in Canada for the basketball-themed “Air Bud Returns.”
‘How can you not smile when you look at golden retriever’
Leigh Benton, who owns a Jackson Township-based franchise of Card My Yard, with her husband, Rick Benton, found out about Charlie through an article in the Canton Repository in early October.
“I just wanted to add a little extra joy to the family welcoming Charlie home,” Leigh Benton said.
She was so touched by Charlie that she donated the sign to the Wilsons.
“How can you not smile when you look at a golden retriever,” said the 55-year-old Benton, who owns two golden retrievers, Mojo and Moxie. “They are literally smiling at you. I thought, ‘How cool that a dog from our very own Jackson Township is going to be in this huge movie.'”
“For me, I think it is a bit of an escape,” she said. “And if you are a person that loves animals and loves dogs, it’s an enjoyable thing to watch. It’s one thing to watch a human actor on screen say their lines and deliver their part that they were hired to do, but to see an animal that was trained to do that, it’s a pretty cool thing.”
Don’t worry, though. Charlie isn’t a diva. And the movie experience hasn’t changed him much.
When greeting visitors, the 3-year-old purebred still sprints from the garage to the driveway as if shot from a cannon. Tail wagging, body bouncing, tongue ready to lick in affection. And his ball fetching and sports skills are better than ever.
Maybe the only difference Sara Wilson has noticed in Charlie is he’s more obedient, due to training he received during the film shoot.
“They talked a lot about how much they loved Charlie,” she said of the filmmakers. “Everyone loves him. He just warms up to everyone.”
Charlie plays in championship game
Sara Wilson, 48, and her son Brady Wilson, a freshman at Bowling Green State University, visited the movie set in Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, for a weekend in late October. Charlie had adjusted well, she said. He even whined a bit when away from his trainer, who adored the dog so much that he let Charlie sleep with him in a hotel bed.
“When they took him, he wasn’t even crate trained,” she said of when a trainer accompanied the dog on a flight from Cleveland to Seattle.
“It was interesting because when I met the owner of Air Bud Entertainment, they were impressed with all his quick learning,” Sara Wilson added. “But it took him a couple of days to warm up and play ball (on set).”
Sara and Brady watched scenes filmed in a high school gymnasium, including the championship basketball game with a crowd of around 150 extras.
“They were cheering,” she said. “It felt like a real game.”
‘Air Bud Returns’ is sequel to 1997 original
Sara Wilson was impressed with Charlie’s performance.
“After he went on set and he really got to know a basketball game, it was incredible to see his passion for basketball,” she said. “Definitely, as soon as he hears a ball being dribbled, he’s ready to go.”
She’s not sure how much screen time Charlie will have when “Air Bud Returns” hits theaters in the fall of 2026. It’s a project of Air Bud Entertainment and Cineverse studio. But there’s no doubt he’ll be in the family movie, and most likely a significant amount based on the roughly two months he spent filming.
“Air Bud Returns” is a sequel and reboot of the original sports-comedy-drama “Air Bud” in 1997.
Robert Vince, founder and CEO of Air Bud Entertainment, is the film’s writer and director. He also directed the “Air Buddies” series, a spin-off of the original “Air Bud” movie.
Messages were left with Air Bud Entertainment and Cineverse seeking comment about Charlie and the film.
“Air Bud Returns” tells the story of 12-year-old Jacob, an aspiring basketball player coping with the recent loss of his dad, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After the boy and his mom move to his late father’s childhood home, he discovers a VHS tape of his dad playing basketball with a dog named Buddy.
Jacob then embarks on his own basketball-inspired journey with a dog.
“Air Bud Returns” will star Aydin Artis, Tracy Ifeachor, Edwin Lee Gibson, Tyler Labine, Erik Gow and Maxim Swinton. Artis appeared in “Blue’s Clues & You,” Gibson had a lead role in “The Bear,” and Ifeachor appeared in “The Pitt.”
Charlie will be a body double in ‘Air Bud’
Charlie is one of two golden retrievers who were selected in a nationwide online search. Three professionally trained golden retrievers are also in the film, and Charlie will serve as a body double and also be in other scenes, Sara Wilson said.
A dog named Roscoe has the lead role of Buddy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Charlie’s resemblance to the original hoops-shooting “Air Bud” helped him land the role. So did his big personality, canine charm and impressive athleticism, according to the film’s producers.
‘Air Bud’ is surreal experience for Charlie’s family
During a recent interview at their home, Sara Wilson and her daughter Annalise Wilson, a 16-year-old student at Jackson High School, said the entire experience has been surreal.
“My Charlie a year ago was just a silly golden retriever of mine,” Annalise said. “I never would have thought he would have become a movie star.”
All of it was a fluke. They entered Charlie in a video audition after learning of the contest. They didn’t think he had a chance. The 100-pound dog is not professionally trained and had never played with a basketball before, although he already loved volleyballs, softballs and footballs.
Charlie and Summer, a golden retriever from San Diego, were chosen out of 4,000 other dogs. Both will double as Buddy in key basketball and stunt sequences, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Charlie’s owners also never imagined they would be handing out his pawtograph (a dog’s version of an autograph).
“Annalise had a classmate send home an original ‘Air Bud’ video, and we did a pawtograph on that for him,” Sara Wilson said. “And it’s been a lot of requests for pawtographs, actually, so that’s been fun and something new we’ve never done before, either.”
Other than an undisclosed amount of prize money for Charlie being selected for the film, the family is not being paid or reimbursed for their dog’s involvement.
“We were spoiled when we were in Vancouver,” Sara Wilson said of the upscale hotel and other accommodations. “They paid for all the expenses, and we got to share meals with the cast and crew.”
Souvenirs include a dog necklace spelling out, “Air Bud.” They also were given a blue “Air Bud” Timberwolves jersey for Charlie.
“He loves it,” Sara Wilson said of the jersey.
‘A piece of my heart was missing.’
Annalise admitted to being sad at times without Charlie at home for around two months. The family also has another golden retriever, Nya.
“It definitely felt like a piece of my heart was missing,” she said. “There was definitely a lot less energy in the house.”
Added mom: “He has such a big personality that we did miss it.”
The family is excited about watching the movie next year.
“We’re certainly hoping to do a premiere of some sort with a local theater,” Sara Wilson said. “And get friends and family involved and the local community to come see him. We haven’t heard anything yet about red-carpet premieres, so we’re going to kind of keep posted on that.”
Reach Ed at [email protected]. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.cantonrep.com ’
