JACKSON TWP. − Annalise Wilson said it was happenstance when she learned her golden retriever Charlie had a supreme knack for bouncing a volleyball off his nose.
Charlie was already well-established as a ball hound in the family, racing after softballs and footballs with gusto.
But when the 16-year-old Jackson High School student was playing volleyball in the backyard with friends in August, Charlie zoomed after the ball every time it was knocked out of play. And the nose bumping trait quickly developed.
He’s so good at it that 3-year-old Charlie was selected to be one of two golden retrievers featured in the new “Air Bud Returns” movie, the latest entry in the franchise and a sequel to the original “Air Bud” in 1997.
Why did Charlie get picked for ‘Air Bud Returns’?
Charlie’s appearance resembles the dog who played Buddy in the first film. And he’s undeniably personable and lovable. The purebred golden retriever also is 100 pounds of muscle.
Those attributes will land the pooch on the big screen when “Air Bud Returns” is released in the fall of 2026 by Cineverse studio.
The whole experience has been a fluke for Annalise and her parents, Paul and Sara Wilson. They found out about a casting call for “Air Bud Returns” from a friend, and sent in a video audition of Charlie dashing around the yard and playing with a volleyball.
A second video audition followed. They also sent photos of Charlie to producers. Neither video was highly polished or thought out, Sara Wilson said.
Charlie advanced to become one of 30 finalists before the list was whittled to two, including Summer, a 5-year-old golden retriever from San Diego. Both dogs were chosen “as the two goldens who best embody Buddy’s athleticism, charm and heart,” Air Bud Entertainment and Cineverse said in a news release.
More than 4,000 golden retrievers auditioned from across the country. Both Charlie and Summer presumably will have lead roles in “Air Bud Returns.”
Robert Vince, writer and director of the film, said the search for the next “Air Bud” has been an “incredible journey.”
“We were looking for that special spark,” he said in a news release. “Charlie and Summer had the presence, the personality, and yes, the basketball skills to make audiences believe in Buddy all over again. They carry the magic that made the original so unforgettable.”
The odds seemed way too high for Charlie to make the cut, his owners admitted.
“We really didn’t think that he’d win,” Sara Wilson said. “And we knew that he had talent with the ball, and that’s why we thought he had a chance, but we never thought he’d win.”
“It was very surreal,” she added. “And just a fun adventure for our family. We’re just excited to be on the ride for the movie. I feel like even if it’s a small part, it’s going to be special, but I have a feeling, especially with what they said about his ball skills, that he’ll have a pretty significant role.”
‘Capabilities of playing ball’
Movie producers sent out a dog trainer to their home to check out Charlie for herself, and make sure the dog wasn’t computer or AI generated.
“The directors liked both of their capabilities of playing ball,” said Sara Wilson, 48, who works in the business office at Lake Erie College in Painesville.
Annalise, who plays softball for Jackson High, said Charlie is always ready to run.
“When I’m practicing, I’ll just have to hit one or toss him a softball to get him distracted,” she said with laughter.
Paul Wilson also plays ball with Charlie, smacking the ball off an aluminum bat. Charlie races across the grass and into trees bordering their property, emerging with the yellow softball clutched in his mouth.
“He gets a lot of practice not even knowing it’s practice,” said Paul, who oversees the parts and service department for a car dealership.
Energy is fueled by a diet of Purina dog food and Milk-Bone treats. American cheese is a favorite snack.
“He eats as much as my son,” Paul kidded.
Charlie is going on a journey
A trainer for the film crew picked up Charlie this past weekend. The dog traveled in a metal crate and boarded a plane at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport before landing in Seattle, Sara said.
Earlier this week, the dog traveled by road to Vancouver, Canada, a primary filming location for “Air Bud Returns.”
Charlie’s owners are over-the-top excited. But life without Charlie won’t be easy.
“Of course we’re worried about him,” Sara said. “But after meeting the trainer, we feel very confident with her and her team. And I’m confident they’re going to take good care of him and give him lots of love.”
Filmmakers will stay in contact with the Wilsons, sending photos and videos of their pet. During the eight-week shoot, the family also will be flown to Canada, where Charlie will be staying in what Sara described as a dog apartment above a barn on location.
The Wilsons received a small amount of prize money for Charlie’s participation in the movie. Sara declined to share how much, but she said that’s the only compensation.
“We’re hoping for an ‘Air Bud’ jersey and maybe some other perks,” Sara said with a grin.
“The main goal was to win the contest,” she said. “And it’s truthfully not even why we did it — it was more for the fun of it, and something we can do together.”
Missing out on the hoopla over Charlie has been the Wilson’s son Brady, who is a freshman at Bowling Green State University.
‘It’s just the feel good story.’
The “Air Bud” franchise spans 14 films and multiple series over the course of 25 years, generating more than $500 million in revenue and more than 1 billion views worldwide, Air Bud Entertainment and Cineverse said.
“With ‘Air Bud Returns,’ the story comes full circle — reintroducing Buddy to a new generation while celebrating the nostalgia of families who grew up with him,” the news release said.
The Wilsons don’t know details of the plot.
“I think it’s just the feel good story, and the feel good ending,” Sara said.
The story of Charlie
Everything about Charlie seems to be happenstance.
The family already had a golden retriever, Nya, when Charlie came into the family. Acquaintances through Jackson youth softball told them the puppy was available.
“He was kind of a last minute pick to be honest with you,” Sara said.
A photo of the 16-week-old pup touched her heart.
“I just think it was the time in our life when we were ready for another dog,” the mother said.
Added Annalise: “I was so excited. It was just so out of the blue, and I could not wait.”
“He was so cute,” the daughter said. “And we could tell how big he was going to get because his paws were big — they were the size of my palm already.”
Can Charlie play hoops?
Despite his love for ball chasing, Charlie is new to basketball, the sport of choice for “Air Bud.”
But Sara believes he’ll readily adapt to the orange round ball.
“I think if he was tossed a basketball, he would do the same thing,” she said of bouncing it off his nose like a volleyball.
“He’s a very tough boy,” Sara said.
Ready for Hollywood?
Charlie and Summer will undergo training with professional animal trainers. Filming is scheduled to begin this week.
Charlie’s owners don’t expect him to go Hollywood on them.
“We joke that he’s going to want Evian water all the time,” Sara said with a laugh.
Added Annalise: “I’m sure he’s going to come back and be the same as he is now.”
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canine movie star, Jackson Township dog is the new ‘Air Bud’ in Hollywood movie
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
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