A David Letterman Segment Inspired A Hit Disney Franchise’s Creation

Every millennial has a ’90s Disney franchise they reflect fondly on. Among these nostalgic properties are the “Air Bud” movies, which wouldn’t exist without a fan-favorite segment from “Late Show with David Letterman.” Longtime viewers are sure to remember the “Stupid Pet Tricks” portion of the talk show, which saw animals perform amazing feats before the audience, even being revitalized by TBS with a reboot hosted by Sarah Silverman. 

Speaking with ScreenSlam, Buddy’s owner, Kevin DiCicco, shared how he initially sent in a video tape to “America’s Funniest Home Videos” once his dog had gotten the trick down. “That very same tape, we sent a copy to the ‘Stupid Pet Tricks’ producer of David Letterman,” DiCicco said. “They gave me a call about two weeks later. Now, David Letterman does not actually see the trick [beforehand]. The producers book it, [and] audition you. So, when you actually make the show, Letterman sees it live for the first time, his reaction is very spontaneous.” Buddy impressed both Letterman and the crowd enough to be brought back for an encore on the show. But Buddy’s biggest break was on the way.

Seeing Buddy on television was the spark that got producer Robert Vince to start thinking about a movie about a dog playing basketball. But “Air Bud” proved to be a massive departure from everything he had produced before that point. 

In a 2020 interview with The Athletic, Vince described being mesmerized after seeing Buddy perform on “Late Show with David Letterman.” “I saw this dog shooting baskets,” he stated. “I was like, ‘What the heck?’ We had never made a family movie before. My brother (Bill) and I had made 22 movies before that, and they had all been lower-budget action, adventure, thrillers, gangster movies. We weren’t super satisfied with that world. So it just stuck with me, this dog playing basketball.” From there, Vince approached director Charles Martin Smith to make the movie, and writers Paul Tamasy and Aaron Mendelsohn to refine the story. Produced under Vince’s Keystone Entertainment, “Air Bud” would later be acquired by Miramax.

Costing roughly $3 million, the little movie ended up netting close to $30 million worldwide. The 1997 film launched a franchise consisting of five direct sequels and a spin-off film series chronicling the adventures of Air Bud’s offspring called “Air Buddies.” It continues to be referenced to this day, even being parodied on an SNL skit starring Sydney Sweeney.