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Still to this day, fans are talking about the 1997 classic Air Bud, which overachieved compared to its smaller budget. Although the film's plot was a bit far-fetched, it came across and genuine and with a soul. Fans still keep searching about what happened to Buddy, however, like other films. the film did receive some hate for its treatment of animals.Controversy aside, we're looking at the positives, discussing behind the scenes moments, while also taking a look at how much Buddy got paid and who was responsible for his salary.
Director Charles Martin Smith Initially Said No To The Air Bud Script
It turned into a cult-classic in the years that followed its release, however, we can't blame Charles Martin Smith for originally turning down the script, that saw a dog play basketball. Smith revealed alongside Newsweek that he turned down the offer at the start - but would revisit the opportunity when he thought about changing up the script.
A major game-changer for Smith, was creating a more human-like script, surrounding the relationship between the boy and Buddy. In addition, Smith had no intention of using fancy CGI, he wanted everything to look at genuine as possible.
"I read the script, and I passed. I didn't want to do it. I thought it sounded silly. A dog playing basketball? But Bill and I remained friends. I was directing Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bill kept checking in and seeing how I was doing. I started thinking about the dog playing basketball."
"I went back to Bill and said, "If you let me work on this and turn it from a gimmick movie into a really honest story of a boy and his dog, with no CGI, nothing fake and we emphasize the boy and his dog, I would be willing to do it."
The film turned out to be a joy to film and in addition, Buddy's stunts were not tampered with.
Buddy's Shots And Tricks In The Film Did Not Involve Any Type Of CGI
The hardest part of the film, or more tedious part, involved shooting the basketball scenes. The film had to set up several shots for the sequence, which did take some time.
Fans might be shocked to realize, but everything Buddy did in the film was completely genuine. He legit hit the shots and assists. Those in the production team setup rewards for the times that Buddy would hit his shots.
"When the ball did go in the basket, he got praised for it—and he got a great reward. Every time he would try to bite the ball, it would just squirt out of his mouth. We deflated the ball slightly, and covered it in olive oil, so it would be slippery. When the ball would go in the basket, Buddy would get all kinds of appreciation. I'm not sure if he ever knew why [laughs]. He just loved playing with the ball. He couldn't get enough."
Given such a talent, fans are not only wondering how much Buddy made, but they are also trying to figure out who got the funds?
How Much Was Buddy Paid For Air Bud?
In all likelihood, Buddy got a lot of extra treats for his work in Air Bud. The man responsible for the Golden Retriever was also his trainer, Kevin DiCicco. He was likely the one to obtain the salary and in addition, he found Buddy as a stray.
In terms of actual figures made, the information seems to be limited. However, we do have a few comparables which can match the ballpark of Buddy's salary.
Rin Tin Tin was a huge success back in the day, said to be making $2,000 per week on the film. The price tag was reportedly eight times more than the human actors.
In the world of TV, pets can also make quite the coin. The iconic dog on Frasier Moose The Jack Russell made $10,000 per episode on the iconic sitcom.
We'll never really know how much Buddy made but given the lower budget of the film valued at $3 million, it likely wasn't super high.
The possible price tag seems to be in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 per week, especially given what a major part of the film the dog was, and how lengthy some basketball scenes took to shoot.
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