Star hound homeward bound after filming new movie
A three-year-old golden retriever called Charlie recently returned home to Ohio after finishing filming his scenes for “Air Bud Returns”. The Stark County celebrity recently acted alongside three other dogs of his breed to create the sequel to the 1997 original motion picture “Air Bud”.
Air Bud is much-loved movie about a dog called Buddy who plays basketball and forms a friendship with a 12-year-old boy called Josh, played by actor Kevin Zegers. The film launched many spin-offs associated with different sports including “Golden Receiver” (American football), “Spikes Back” (Volleyball) and “World Pup” (Football) along with “Air Buddies” focusing on Air Bud’s puppies.
The new movie won’t hit cinemas until 2026, but the purebred retriever is already enjoying growing fame in his hometown. Sara Wilson and her family, Charlie’s owners, have received hand-written mail from fans and their mailman asked if he could meet the four-legged film star.
Shot over seven weeks, the new movie was filmed on location in Canada. Charlie received a warm welcome when he arrived back to his Braucher Street home in November after filming. In his front yard was a professionally designed sign displaying the words “Welcome Home Air Bud” in in sparkly white and blue letters alongside illustrations of basketballs, stars and a clapperboard.
When asked if his experience as a canine actor has changed Charlie, his owner commented that the only difference was that he was a little better behaved thanks to the skills of his professional on-set trainer.
