Air, the upcoming film, is set to be a massive deal. Literally. The movie, which Ben Affleck has directed, will see the multi-faceted star throw it back to his glory days by reuniting with his long-time friend and cinematic collaborator, Matt Damon. (They both won a Best Original Screenplay Award for 1997's Good Will Hunting).
The movie will be based on the true story of the creation of the Air Jordan, which will shine a spotlight on one of the greatest American basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan. The movie won't necessarily follow now-60-year-old Michael's rise to sporting greatness but his historic endorsement deal with Nike that led to the iconic sneaker's design. With the movie's script being written by Alex Convery from the 2021 Black List script, which is an annual list of the best-unproduced screenplays in Hollywood, the film will undoubtedly have Hollywood rolling out the red carpet for its April premiere, and we even predict award season buzz for next year!
So, if you want to know more about the film Air, read on.
What is the plot of Air?
The official logline for the movie reads: "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."
The story will focus primarily focus on the middle-of-the-road sportswear brand Nike, whose salesman, Sonny Vaccaro, relentlessly pursues a historic endorsement deal with the number one sports star at the time Michael Jordan. Signing rising star Michael was a massive risk at the time, but one that paid off.
Who else stars in Air?
Matt Damon will play Vaccaro, while Ben will take on the role of Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Others in the movie include Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Barbara Sukowa, Chris Tucker, and Marlon Wayans.
What has Ben Affleck said about the movie?
Ben spoke about the man himself, Michael Jordan, not actually being in the movie, telling The Seattle Times: "What I wanted to try to accomplish was to have Michael Jordan have the effect in the story that he has in the world, which is that obviously the vast majority of people don't know and have never met Michael Jordan — and yet they know about him, and they know what he means, and they might talk about him." He added: "So, in a way, he's like a presence that's felt and discussed, and everybody else around him is there. But you never see his face."
Is there a trailer?
Yes, there is! The first trailer for Air premiered on Wednesday, February 9th. Watch below:
What is the release date of Air?
Air will hit UK cinemas on April 7th, so make sure to get courtside seats!
