Spooky Buddies, the 2011 Halloween movie with the Air Bud puppies and a haunted mansion, streams on Disney+. Freeform airs it one more time this October, on Sunday, Oct. 25.
The Air Bud puppies have a Halloween movie, and it’s on Disney+.
Spooky Buddies came out on DVD on Sept. 20, 2011, according to D23, Disney’s official fan club. It’s streaming on Disney+, according to JustWatch.
If you’d rather catch it on TV, Freeform has one airing left during “31 Nights of Halloween”: Sunday, Oct. 25, at 7 a.m. Eastern and Pacific, according to Freeform’s schedule.
What is Spooky Buddies about?
It’s Halloween, and the talking puppies end up at a mysterious mansion across town where something spooky is going on, D23 says.
They have to race against a creature called the Howlloween Hound and stop an evil warlock. They pick up new friends along the way, named Pip, Zelda, Rodney and Skip.
Disney+ sums it up as “a spooky adventure through a mysterious haunted mansion in this fur-raising flick.” Yes, fur-raising.
Who is in Spooky Buddies?
Harland Williams plays the villain, according to D23’s cast list. The live-action cast also includes Rance Howard, Pat Finn, Jennifer Elise Cox, Sierra McCormick, Sage Ryan and Elisa Donovan.
Comedy legend Tim Conway is in it, too, according to the movie’s Disney+ cast list.
Robert Vince directed it, D23 says. He directed every movie in the Buddies series.
Rance Howard, by the way, was Ron Howard’s dad. And Elisa Donovan played Amber in “Clueless.”
Here’s Disney’s official trailer, from Disney Australia and New Zealand’s YouTube channel:
How many Buddies movies are there?
Seven, all direct-to-video, all directed by Robert Vince, according to D23:
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“Air Buddies”: Dec. 12, 2006
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“Snow Buddies”: Feb. 5, 2008
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“Space Buddies”: Feb. 3, 2009
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“Santa Buddies”: Nov. 24, 2009
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“Spooky Buddies”: Sept. 20, 2011
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“Treasure Buddies”: Jan. 31, 2012
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“Super Buddies”: Aug. 27, 2013
“Spooky Buddies” is the fifth one. Watching them in order isn’t required, unless you have a kid who insists.
Are the Buddies movies on Disney+?
Most of them. “Snow Buddies,” “Space Buddies,” “Santa Buddies,” “Spooky Buddies,” “Treasure Buddies” and “Super Buddies” are all on Disney+, according to JustWatch.
The odd one out is the first one. “Air Buddies” isn’t on Disney+. JustWatch lists it as free with ads on a couple of smaller streaming services instead, or for purchase.
Where did the Buddies come from?
“Air Bud.”
The original “Air Bud” came out Aug. 1, 1997, about a golden retriever named Buddy who could shoot hoops, D23 says. Charles Martin Smith directed it.
The real dog, Buddy, was discovered by trainer Kevin DiCicco, according to D23. The puppies came along later, and in “Air Buddies,” the animals talked for the first time, D23 notes.
Is there a new Air Bud movie?
Yes, though it’s not a Disney release.
“Air Bud Returns” is set to hit theaters Jan. 22, 2027, from Cineverse and Air Bud Entertainment, ABC News reported in July. Robert Vince, who founded Air Bud Entertainment, wrote and directed it.
It follows a 14-year-old named Jacob who moves to Fernfield, finds a VHS tape marked “Air Bud” and meets a basketball-playing golden retriever, according to the official description ABC News shared.
Vince has produced every movie in the franchise, ABC News reported.
What else is on Freeform the morning of Oct. 25?
“Spooky Buddies” kicks off Freeform’s Sunday lineup that day. After it, according to Freeform’s schedule:
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9 a.m.: “Ghostbusters II”
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11:30 a.m.: “Hocus Pocus”
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1:40 p.m.: “Haunted Mansion” (2023)
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4:20 p.m.: “Casper” (1995)
What are some fun facts about Spooky Buddies?
The puppies have names. They’re B-Dawg, Budderball, Mudbud, Buddha and Rosebud, going by D23’s “Air Buddies” entry.
It runs about an hour and a half. Disney+ lists it at 1 hour, 33 minutes.
The puppies did Christmas first. “Santa Buddies” came out in 2009, about two years before “Spooky Buddies.”
The Air Bud franchise started with a dog playing basketball and ended up with puppies fighting a warlock. Honestly, that tracks.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
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D23 Disney A to Z: Spooky Buddies, Air Buddies, Snow Buddies, Space Buddies, Santa Buddies, Treasure Buddies, Super Buddies and Air Bud entries
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Disney+: Spooky Buddies title page (description, cast and runtime), checked Oct. 11, 2026
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Freeform, Sept. 16, 2026: 31 Nights of Halloween schedule 2026
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JustWatch: Buddies movies U.S. listings, checked Oct. 11, 2026
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ABC News via Rural Radio Network, July 27, 2026: Air Bud Returns gets teaser trailer, new release date
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Disney Australia and New Zealand on YouTube: Spooky Buddies trailer
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