The new Air Bud sequel looks like it might not be a meta sequel after all, but just a normal "years later" sequel. Could also be a straight-up remake/reboot. Damn. I was really feeling the meta vibe this could've had.
Air Bud Returns, which is planning a 2026 theatrical release, will star Aydin Artis (Blue’s Clues & You), Tracy Ifeachor (The Pitt), Edwin Lee Gibson (The Bear), Tyler Labine (New Amsterdam), Erik Gow (Yellowjackets) and Maxim Swinton (Bookie), The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. Production is currently underway on writer-director Robert Vince’s sports film that continues the legacy of 1997’s original Air Bud.
And here's the more-detailed official synopsis:
Air Bud Returns focuses on 12-year-old Jacob (Artis), an aspiring basketball player coping with the recent loss of his dad. After he and his mom (Ifeachor) move to his dad’s childhood home in Fernfield, Jacob discovers a VHS tape of his dad playing basketball on the same court as a hoops-shooting golden retriever. Soon, Jacob begins his own adventure with a neglected golden retriever that he names Buddy.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter