Nike is getting the big screen treatment as the legendary sports apparel company's story is being told with the new 2023 movie AIR, with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon two of the driving forces behind it.
Affleck and Damon have a long history together going all the way back to when they were kids in Boston, but their professional career has been highlighted by their Oscar win for the Good Will Hunting screenplay and appearing together in movies (in addition to Good Will Hunting) like Dogma, the Jay and Silent Bob movies, School Ties and, most recently, The Last Duel. However, this is the first time that Affleck is directing Damon in a movie.
Find out everything you need to know about AIR, including when it is coming to streaming, who else is in the movie and more right here.
AIR streaming date
Though the movie was produced by Amazon Studios, AIR released exclusively in movie theaters on April 5 instead of having an immediate release on Prime Video. But we now know when it is going to have its streaming debut, May 12, announced by Prime Video's Twitter account:
From director Ben Affleck comes the story behind the greatest deal of all time. Inspired by true events, #AIRMovie is now playing in theaters and streaming exclusively on Prime Video May 12. pic.twitter.com/8VZm9Lw03NMay 2, 2023
AIR plot
AIR will focus on one of the most important events in Nike's history, which would help them become the globally recognized brand they are today: their pursuit of Michael Jordan as a spokesperson and the creation of the Air Jordan sneaker line.
Here is the movie's official synopsis:
"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."
Alex Convery wrote the script for AIR.
AIR cast
Damon is going to take the lead role of Vaccaro in AIR, while Affleck's turn as Knight is described to be more of a supporting performance. Damon and Affleck have been two of the biggest stars in Hollywood over the last 25 years or so. Some of Damon's most memorable roles came in The Martian, The Departed and Saving Private Ryan, while Affleck is best known for his turns in The Tender Bar, The Way Back, as Batman in The Justice League and Gone Girl.
Joining Affleck and Damon in AIR are Jason Bateman (Ozark, Arrested Development), Chris Messina (Gaslit, The Mindy Project), Viola Davis (The Woman King, Fences), Matthew Maher (Outer Range, Our Flag Means Death), Marlon Wayans (The Curse of Bridge Hollow, White Chicks), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour, Silver Lining's Playbook), Gustaf Skarsgård (Vikings, Cursed) and Julis Tennon (The Woman King, Get on Up).
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Many of you may notice that there isn't an actor identified as playing Michael Jordan. That is purposeful, as according to Ben Affleck, Michael Jordan is barely in the movie (only shown from behind, where he is portrayed by Damian Young). IndieWire reports that at a special screening in New York, Affleck said that "The only person who could play Michael Jordan, as I’ve said to him, is too old now toplayMichael Jordan;" believing that trying to pass someone else off as the basketball legend would immediately be called out as fake.
AIR trailer
Get that '80s vibe with the official AIR trailer right here:
AIR reviews
AIR had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival, so the first reviews are starting to trickle in, with many critics saying the same thing — the movie is a "slam dunk." Our very own WTW team raved about the film in our Air review, specifically calling attention to the performances of Matt Damon and Viola Davis.
As of May 2, AIR had 92% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a positive audience score of 98%.
Ben Affleck directed movies
While Affleck got his break as an actor, he has also become quite the acclaimed director. Here are the movies that he has directed in addition to AIR:
- Gone Baby Gone (2007)
- The Town (2010)
- Argo (2012)
- Live by Night (2016)
More Air relalted stories
- Fact vs Fiction: AIR — did Michael Jordan prefer Adidas to Nike?
- Who plays Michael Jordan in AIR?
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Michael Balderston
Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.
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