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\n Related: <\/span>Celebrity Deaths of 2026: \u2018MAFS\u2019 UK Expert Mel Schilling and More<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tHollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. The year started off with Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford\u2019s death at age 46. At the end of the month, comedy acting icon Catherine O\u2019Hara died at age 71. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
DiCicco\u2019s COPD had required him to use an oxygen tank to breathe.<\/p>\n
Kevin DiCicco and His Stray Dog Buddy<\/h2>\n
The story behind Air Bud<\/em> began in 1989, when DiCicco found a stray dog near his cabin in Yosemite, California. He brought the dog home and named him Buddy.<\/p>\nWhat happened next would become the foundation of a movie franchise spanning decades.<\/p>\n
DiCicco trained Buddy to play basketball, baseball, football and soccer. The pair\u2019s talents caught national attention, leading to appearances on America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos and David Letterman\u2019s Stupid Pet Tricks.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy obsession with sport, and his obsession with ball playing, the combination of the two, created this tremendous canine athlete,\u201d DiCicco said of Buddy in a 2024 interview with NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\nDiCicco worked with independent producer Keystone Entertainment to develop the concept into a film. Miramax acquired distribution rights to Air Bud, and Disney, Miramax\u2019s parent company at the time, released the film to video.<\/p>\n
Kevin DiCicco\u2019s \u2018Air Bud\u2019 Franchise Was Born<\/h2>\n
The original 1997 film follows Buddy, a runaway circus dog who befriends a boy named Josh and helps lead his school\u2019s basketball team to a championship.<\/p>\n
The movie launched a sprawling franchise \u2014 14 films released between 1997 and 2013, including five original Air Bud movies focusing on the basketball-playing dog and nine spin-off films centered around his pups.<\/p>\n
DiCicco earned 11 credits across the franchise for creating the character.<\/p>\n
Buddy himself died in 1998, but the franchise continued. DiCicco bred and trained three of Buddy\u2019s offspring for future films.<\/p>\n
A sixth original film, Air Bud Returns, is set for a theatrical release on August 21, 2026.<\/p>\n
Kevin DiCicco\u2019s Financial Struggles and Homelessness<\/h2>\n
Despite the franchise\u2019s reach and longevity, DiCicco said he saw little financial benefit from its success.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are so cleverly crafted to make sure that these films don\u2019t really ever receive the big money,\u201d DiCicco said in a 2024 interview with Fox 5 San Diego<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s why we now find ourselves in a position of instead of enjoying those twilight years and sliding into retirement, we\u2019re almost having to start over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nThank You!<\/h3>\n
You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
DiCicco lost his job as a property manager during the COVID-19 pandemic. He became homeless and developed severe clinical depression, all while his health deteriorated from COPD.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith pretty much nothing in your pocket and in a dire situation is exactly what happened. I think the worst part of it \u2026 is the severe clinical depression that goes along with it,\u201d DiCicco told NBC News.<\/p>\n
What happened next would become the foundation of a movie franchise spanning decades.<\/p>\n
DiCicco trained Buddy to play basketball, baseball, football and soccer. The pair\u2019s talents caught national attention, leading to appearances on America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos and David Letterman\u2019s Stupid Pet Tricks.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy obsession with sport, and his obsession with ball playing, the combination of the two, created this tremendous canine athlete,\u201d DiCicco said of Buddy in a 2024 interview with NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n DiCicco worked with independent producer Keystone Entertainment to develop the concept into a film. Miramax acquired distribution rights to Air Bud, and Disney, Miramax\u2019s parent company at the time, released the film to video.<\/p>\n The original 1997 film follows Buddy, a runaway circus dog who befriends a boy named Josh and helps lead his school\u2019s basketball team to a championship.<\/p>\n The movie launched a sprawling franchise \u2014 14 films released between 1997 and 2013, including five original Air Bud movies focusing on the basketball-playing dog and nine spin-off films centered around his pups.<\/p>\n DiCicco earned 11 credits across the franchise for creating the character.<\/p>\n Buddy himself died in 1998, but the franchise continued. DiCicco bred and trained three of Buddy\u2019s offspring for future films.<\/p>\n A sixth original film, Air Bud Returns, is set for a theatrical release on August 21, 2026.<\/p>\n Despite the franchise\u2019s reach and longevity, DiCicco said he saw little financial benefit from its success.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are so cleverly crafted to make sure that these films don\u2019t really ever receive the big money,\u201d DiCicco said in a 2024 interview with Fox 5 San Diego<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s why we now find ourselves in a position of instead of enjoying those twilight years and sliding into retirement, we\u2019re almost having to start over.\u201d<\/p>\n You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n DiCicco lost his job as a property manager during the COVID-19 pandemic. He became homeless and developed severe clinical depression, all while his health deteriorated from COPD.<\/p>\n \u201cWith pretty much nothing in your pocket and in a dire situation is exactly what happened. I think the worst part of it \u2026 is the severe clinical depression that goes along with it,\u201d DiCicco told NBC News.<\/p>\nKevin DiCicco\u2019s \u2018Air Bud\u2019 Franchise Was Born<\/h2>\n
Kevin DiCicco\u2019s Financial Struggles and Homelessness<\/h2>\n
Thank You!<\/h3>\n
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