'Air': Ben Affleck-Matt Damon reunite in film on Nike's rise
Sports and movie enthusiasts, take note! The brand new trailer for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's movie Air was released recently, and it instantly created a stir online. The highly-anticipated feature chronicles Nike's rise to sneaker dominance by making an association with the greatest basketball player of all time Michael Jordan, who was still a rookie back in the '80s.
Why does this story matter?
- The film reunites the Oscar-award-winning duo Damon and Affleck following The Last Duel (2021).
- Air is based on the historic moment that revolutionized the world of sports, and the unexpected partnership which helped bring the brand to its global status today with the introduction of the "Air Jordan" range.
- Air also marks Affleck's first time directing Damon on the big screen.
Trailer lays emphasis on how they struck up the deal
"There's nothing cool about Nike," says Marlon Wayans, playing the character of George Raveling in the trailer. The two-minute and 17-second-long trailer takes us back to the early days of the brand. Damon takes on the role of Sonny Vaccaro who is desperately trying to expand Nike's basketball footprint globally, but is unable to, due to a lack of support from the company's higher-ups.
'Air' grabbed $7M Super Bowl ad; grand theatrical release
Per reports, Air, by Amazon Studios, received a $7M Super Bowl ad, along with a lengthy theatrical release on more than 3,000 movie theater screens throughout the US, and it will be accessible to stream in more than 240 countries. The huge push around the movie comes from Amazon Studio's president for marketing and distribution Sue Kroll, who previously worked on Affleck's directorial Argo.
First project of Affleck-Damon's Artists Equity production company
Air will premiere on April 5. Affleck and Damon are joined by EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) winner Viola Davis as Jordan's mother, Deloris Jordan. Other star-studded cast includes Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Chris Messina as David Falk, and Julius Tennon as James Jordan. Notably, Air is the first project from Affleck and Damon's Artists Equity banner.
Affleck returns to directing with 'Air'
Apart from portraying the role of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Affleck is stepping behind the camera and making his return to director's chair following the 2016 crime drama Live By Night. Affleck's directorial Argo (2012) bagged three awards including Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards and became the first film to win the coveted award without its director being nominated at the Oscars.
