Ben Affleck is donning the director’s hat yet again! MGM has unveiled the first official trailer for Air, a film helmed by Affleck that explores what went behind the partnership between Michael Jordan and shoe brand Nike.
The film will focus on the journey of Sonny Vaccaro, the marketing executive who was the primary reason behind the birth of the iconic Air Jordan brand, which took the globe, especially the basketball world, by storm. Continue reading to watch the trailer and know more about the film.
Air Trailer: Matt Damon is Determined to Unite Michael Jordan and Nike
The trailer shows Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro dreaming big as he wants to take basketball legend (then a rising NBA star) Michael Jordan on board for a campaign with Nike. The footage shows what went on behind closed doors as Vaccaro took his idea to Nike co-founder Phil Knight, played by Affleck himself.
The trailer also addresses how Michael Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, also played an important part in the deal coming through. By the end, Vaccaro suggests the name ‘Air Jordan’ for the new shoe line and gets a hilarious response from Knight.
Air is arriving in theatres on April 5. The film will be released on Amazon Prime Video a few months later, unlike the previous theatrical releases by the studio, which made their way to streaming within a few weeks. Watch the exciting trailer below.
The Film will Focus on the Deal that Made Nike a Global Brand
The official synopsis of Air reads, “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,” it reads further.
Air Star Cast
Apart from Affleck and Damon, the film will also star Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Tom Papa as Stu Inman, Julius Tennon as James R. Jordan Sr. and Joel Gretsch as John O’Neil.
The rest of the cast includes Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, Barbara Sukowa as Kathy Dassler, Jessica Green as Katrina Sainz, and Dan Bucatinsky as Richard. However, Michael Jordan remains absent from the film. Air has been written by Alex Convery and produced by Affleck, Damon, David Ellison, Jason Michael Berman, Jeff Robinov, and Peter Guber.
Air marks Affleck and Damon’s seventh collaboration after School Ties (1992), Good Will Hunting (1997), Dogma (1999), Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (2000), Jay & Silent Bob Reboot (2019), and The Last Duel (2021). However, this is the first time that Affleck has directed his best friend and collaborator, Damon.
How did you like the Air trailer? Tell us in the comments section.
