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The sport of basketball has a rich and vibrant history in cinema history, but it's a bit difficult to believe that we haven't seen a proper biopic that centers around one of the biggest stars ever to play the sport, Michael Jordan. Not that we'd ever try to discount Space Jam (1996), where the NBA icon helped the Looney Tunes take on a group of maniacal aliens, but a more accurate true story has yet to be told. Now, director, producer, and actor Ben Affleck will be partially telling the story of Michael Jordan's origins in a pretty unique way.
We say partially because Affleck's next directorial effort won't tell the story of Michael's rise to basketball stardom directly but instead will focus on the iconic athletic shoe that would go on to become the all-star of the sports shoe world. Simply titled Air (2023), the film is Ben Affleck's fifth directorial feature and stars his long-time friend and cinematic partner Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro - the aspiring sports executive guru whose claim to fame was signing a young Michael Jordan to his historic contract at Nike. Not only are the humble origins of Michael Jordan explored, but Air will also showcase how Nike went from a joke in the industry into one of the biggest sports accessory brands in the world.
To find out more about the cast, release date, trailer, and more for the anticipated new film, read below to learn everything we know so far about Air.
Related:Do We Really Need Another Michael Jordan Documentary?
Watch the Trailer for Air
The debut trailer for Air premiered on Wednesday, February 9th, and quickly introduces Sonny Vaccaro as he's brought in by Nike co-founder Phil Knight (Ben Affleck). As the film's version of Nike executive Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) states, the year 1984 has been a tough period for the Nike corporation. Their basketball apparel division has become the laughingstock of the industry, and they're constantly being overshadowed by the industry leader, Converse. So the company desperately needs a hit and needs one fast. That's when Sonny stumbles upon a miracle. A videotape of an up-and-coming rookie so incredible that he seems primed to become the next big thing in basketball. That player ended up being, you guessed it, Michael Jordan, and it doesn't take long for Vaccaro to get the wild idea of creating an all-new basketball shoe themed entirely to Michael Jordan - the Air Jordan. The trailer concludes with introducing the impressive ensemble cast consisting of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis, as well as a brief after-title stinger with Phil Knight being apprehensive about the Air Jordan's name.
Is Air Releasing on Streaming or in Theaters?
Despite being a production of Amazon Studios, Air will be released exclusively into theaters once it premieres in April 2023. It's a somewhat surprising move given Amazon has invested so much into their streaming giant Amazon Prime Video, but being a theatrical release means that Air will be eligible for awards consideration like the Academy Awards. That being said, once the theatrical run of Air has concluded, Prime Video will more than likely become the home of the basketball biopic.
What Is the Release Date of Air?
Air will have its shoes laced and ready to go when it arrives exclusively in theaters on Wednesday, April 5th, 2023.
What Is the Plot of Air?
The official synopsis of Air reads as follows:
From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.
Who Is Making Air?
Ben Affleck is obviously very well-known for his acting work, playing superheroes like Batman and Daredevil all the way to dramatic performances like Gone Girl (2014) and comedic ones like Mallrats (1995). Despite those great roles, when Affleck is behind the camera, he is an absolute master of the craft, delivering hit after hit with Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Town (2010), and Argo (2012). Air marks the first time that Affleck will be directing a film that is not a gritty crime drama. Not to mention Affleck's writing and producing work have also made him a universally recognized and respected figure in the industry. Affleck will also be a producer for Air.
Air is also being written by newcomer Alex Convery, whose circulating script for the project was proclaimed as the Best Unproduced/Blacklist Screenplay of 2021. Both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon worked on a rewritten draft of the script, making this their latest writing collaboration after Good Will Hunting (1997) and The Last Duel (2021). The rest of Air's impressive crew is rounded out by cinematographer Robert Richardson (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), editor William Goldenberg (Zero Dark Thirty), and production designer François Audouy (Ford v Ferrari).
Related:Ben Affleck's 'The Town' Is So Much More Than a Heist Movie
Who Is Starring in Air?
Matt Damon has been incredibly close friends with Ben Affleck for a very long time, yet this is the first time that the leading actor of The Martian (2015) has starred in one of Affleck's films. Affleck himself, who regularly stars in his directorial films like Argo and The Town, will also be joining his real-life best friend as the boss of Sonny Vaccaro. Joining them is Jason Bateman (Game Night) as executive Rob Strasser, Chris Messina (Argo) as sports agent David Falk, Gustaf Skarsgård (Vikings) and Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) as rival Adidas couple Horst and Kathy Dassler, Chris Tucker (Rush Hour) as Nike field representative Howard White, Marlon Wayans (Respect) as NBA all-star George Raveling, Jessica Green (The Outpost) as Vaccaro's secretary Katrina Sainz, and Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Julius Tennon (Dazed and Confused) as Michael Jordan's parents Deloris and James Jordan. Strangely enough, the one role not yet cast is that of Michael Jordan himself. That's because, according to reports, Jordan won't be portrayed by an actor on screen and will use archived footage of the iconic Bulls player, and the film will instead focus on Jordan's legacy rather than his physical appearance.
