Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Pinterest
Flipboard
Email
Messenger
WhatsApp
Ben Affleck’s Nike Sports Drama ‘Air’ Release Date Confirmed
Ben Affleck is tackling royalty with his next directorial endeavour Air, charting the meteoritic rise of the Nike brand Air Jordan and His Airness himself, Michael Jordan. The upcoming film, which stars Affleck and longtime collaborator Matt Damon, recently secured a global theatrical release date of April 5, marking a series of firsts. Not only will Air will be the official debut from the pair’s Artists Equity studio in partnership with Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures, it also serves as Amazon’s first full-on theatrical release since its Sundance acquisition.
RELATED: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Are Making a Film About Nike’s Relentless Pursuit to Sign Michael Jordan
Nike’s Phil Knight
Following the movie’s mega worldwide premiere, Amazon will be making the film available on Prime Video for streaming in more than 240 countries and regions, tapping into both theatre and streamer markets. Ka-ching! However, no release date on Prime has yet been announced.
“Matt and I are very excited for audiences to see Air and proud that it’s the first release from Artists Equity,” Affleck said in a statement. “The movie was an extraordinary experience where we had the honour of working with some of the best cast and crew in the business, all of whom brought passion, persistence, and creativity to a collective effort at recreating a remarkable and aspirational story.”
Affleck’s Air will go behind the scenes of Nike’s Air Jordan journey, revealing how the brand tapped sports culture to become one of the biggest footwear and apparel labels in the world. The movie will also delve into the partnership between then-newcomer Michael Jordan and Nike’s just-formed basketball division, revealing how it went on to become the most influential relationship between a sports brand and an athlete ever.
Michael Jordan with his signature Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicago’ | Image: Nike
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The story will focus on Vaccaro’s relentless quest to sign Jordan to what was then the third-place shoe company, a journey that took him to Jordan’s parents, and in particular his powerful, dynamic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisers and friends. Jordan will be a mythic figure hovering above the movie and never seen, even as Vaccaro tries to reach him by gaining access to those close to him and around him.”
The movie’s script has been penned by Alex Convery and will be produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Affleck, Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber and Jason Michael Berman. As for the casts, there are plenty of big names involved. The star-studded lineup includes Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Damon as maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.
Amazon will be distributing the film worldwide, with Warner Bros. Pictures overseeing the international side of things as part of its distribution agreement with Amazon’s MGM. During the release date reveal, Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon and MGM Studios, said, “Ben, Matt and this all-star cast have delivered a fantastic film that will move, inspire, and entertain audiences around the globe. With Ben’s incredible direction, the film delivers a nostalgic look back at a culture-defining moment that absolutely lends itself to a global theatrical event.”
Air will premiere in cinemas in Australia on April 5. For more information on the upcoming release, check out our full guide.
Shubhendu Vatsa
Shubhendu Vatsa is an experienced reporter specialising in video game, eSports and technology coverage. A BTech IT graduate, Shubhendu has previously written for entertainment-based publications such as GiveMeSport, Touch, Tap, Play, Attack of the Fanboy, EssentiallySports, Twinfinite and The Load Out.
