Last April, the famous American actor-director Ben Affleck announced he was working on a new film based on the Nike success story and the signature of the legendary Michael Jordan. Named « Air », this new opus shot in 2022 gets a release date for spring 2023.
After the documentary « The Last Dance » on Netflix, the feature film « Air » will pay tribute to ‘His Airness’ through his influence on the Swoosh brand’s rise to popularity.
Co-written by famous actors and friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, this film is the first to be created by the two partners’ new studio, Artists Equity. The screenplay was written by Alex Convery, who shot a notable behind-the-scenes documentary about Nike called « Sole Man » in 2015.
It traces the exceptional history of the NIKE sports brand and its quest to sign Michael Jordan. The feature film will detail former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s long-standing plan to sign Michael Jordan to a shoe deal when his career was in full swing in the mid-1980s. In the lead roles of the brand founders, Phil Knight is played by Ben Affleck and Sonny Vaccaro by Matt Damon. The cast also includes actors and actresses with unique personalities, such as Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Gustaf Skarsgard Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher and Julius Tennon.
About the film, which he co-wrote, directed and starred in, Ben Affleck said : « Matt and I can’t wait for audiences to see Air, and we’re proud that this is the first release from Artists Equity. It’s been an amazing experience, we’ve been fortunate to work with a great cast and crew, all of whom have brought passion, persistence and creativity to the project to recreate this remarkable and inspiring story together. I appreciate Jen Salke’s support and belief in our ability to craft a film we can all be proud of, as well as Sue Kroll’s unwavering support. Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures have done everything they could to make this film a reality, which would not have happened without them. We know how much they all put in and we thank them for that. It was the best experience of our lives, both creatively and personally, and we look forward to doing more like this. »
With the help of Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures, the Ben Affleck and Matt Damon film « Air » will be released in U.S. theaters on April 5, 2023. It will then be available on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. Can’t wait !
