California golden retriever cast as the new ‘Air Bud’ dog

Move over, Tom Cruise, because there’s a new top dog in the world of high-flying action movie stars — and she’s a San Diegan.

Summer, a 5-year-old golden retriever from University City, who became known for her volleyball-handling skills at dog beaches in Ocean Beach and Del Mar, has been cast in the 2026 reboot of the “Air Bud” movie franchise.

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Summer is one of six dogs playing the main character in “Air Bud Returns,” the latest installment in the franchise that is set to be released in either the summer or fall of next year.

The first “Air Bud” movie was released in 1996 and spurred multiple sequels and series over the next two decades. The new movie will follow the story of a 12-year-old boy who dreams of being a professional basketball player, producers said. After finding his dad’s old “Air Bud” movie VHS tapes, and having a chance encounter with a stray golden retriever, the boy and his new dog team up in search of a basketball championship.

Summer’s owners, Kathryn Gard and Tim Bautista, said Summer was cast alongside another golden retriever to perform athletic feats in the movie because of her nose-eye coordination with a volleyball.

“I would say this was a surprise,” Gard said. “It’s been a whirlwind for sure.”

Summer’s trip to stardom was not the walk most traveled. After Bautista decided to take a hiatus from playing competitive beach volleyball, he saw the potential in making the puppy they had brought home during the pandemic lockdown his new volleying partner.

“It was 2020, COVID time,” said Gard. “We were just like, ‘We’re working from home, so we can train a puppy.’”

“We had actually just watched the original ‘Air Bud’ movie, and I thought I could do that. I could train a dog to hit a ball like that,” Bautista added.

Tim Bautista, left, and Kathryn Gard pose with Summer. (Tim Bautista)

After starting her off small and gradually working her way up, Summer eventually had balls soaring over the net. She also became a sightseeing fixture for local beachgoers and tourists alike.

“On a regular weekend day now, we’ll go to the dog beach, like Ocean Beach or Del Mar, and just pass a volleyball back and forth for hours,” Bautista said. “And whenever we’re at the beach, there’s always about a half dozen people that stop and record videos.”

Over the last few years, Summer’s fame grew. It wasn’t until she reached “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s flagship sports news and highlights program, that she started to gain national attention.

It was only natural that when writer and director Robert Vince announced he would be rebooting the franchise and looking for a new set of animal-athletes to helm his new movie, friends began sending Summer’s parents the open casting call postings.

“We had a ton of people sending us the announcement, encouraging us to audition,” Bautista said. “We submitted on a whim.”

After a slew of auditions that featured more than 5,000 dogs from across the country, where Summer showcased her ability to hit a ball farther than most of the other dogs, Gard and Bautista sat around nervously awaiting a call.

“We got the announcement that she had made the top 30, but at the time, we’re thinking, ‘She doesn’t have any formal acting training. She’s not a show dog, she’s just really good at one skill, and that’s passing a volleyball,’” Bautista said.

It wasn’t long after that Bautista’s phone lit up, and their hopes soared higher.

“It was the final call to say that Summer had gotten (the role), and we were so excited, celebrating,” Gard said. “Summer started playing and swimming in the pool. It was a really fun moment for us.”

“Air Bud Returns” is set to release in 2026. (High Roads Public Relations)

Fast forward, the local retriever has taken her talents to Vancouver, Canada, to familiarize herself with life on a movie set and her Hollywood movie trainers. Principal photography began Oct. 1.

Gard said she and her husband were a little nervous about how their high-energy, playful Summer would gel with her fellow co-stars, based on her existing relationship with their older, more even-keeled dog.

But the other athletic animal cast, a golden retriever named Charlie from Ohio, matched Summer’s energy, and the two quickly became best friends, they said.

According to Bautista, Charlie excels in accurately making mid-range shots, while Summer can send the ball far, creating an acting duo perfect for a Cinderella story. The other four dogs cast to play the main character are trained movie dogs that will handle most of the non-athletic scenes, Bautista said.

“I think she’s going to be used to make a lot of three-pointers,” Bautista joked.

While on set, Summer’s days are filled with being on call to make basketball shots at any moment during filming. But when she’s not earning her paycheck or playing with the other dogs, the golden retriever is enjoying one of her favorite pastimes: sleeping.

Summer will call Vancouver her home until just before Thanksgiving. After that, Hollywood’s newest star will be back home, waiting for the movie to come out sometime next year.

“We’ve made it clear that we’re expecting to host a watch party for her puppy friends,” Gard joked.

“Maybe we can get her doing dog autographs with paw prints,” Bautista added.

Gard and Bautista said they hope this is not the end for Summer’s entertainment career, whether it be in any future “Air Bud” sequels or performing half-time shows for local San Diego sports teams.

“I have this special bond with Summer, where we’ve had these sunsets playing volleyball at the beach,” Bautista said. “I’m really hoping that inspires people to build a connection with their best friend and find something that they can do together that’s really memorable.”