It’s hard to imagine it nowadays, but at some point in time, there was a degree of separation between famous basketball legend Michael B. Jordan and the footwear company Nike. Nowadays, when you think of Nike, chances are your mind’s eye immediately sees the classic Nike Air Jordan, adorned with the famous silhouette of Michael Jordan mid-dunk. Endorsements and partnerships similar to this have since spread to just about every athletic brand you can think of and beyond, but you could argue that the original deal between Nike and Michael Jordan was the progenitor for a litany of successful endorsements to come.

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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon recognized some cinematic potential in this story. Consequently, the duo have teamed up to produce the biographical film Air, a showcase of the burgeoning relationship between the rising athlete and the sportswear company. While Jordan is no stranger to cinema, having starred in the beloved 90s film Space Jam, the film will skew more towards the business side at Nike Headquarters, aiming to capture the tension and drama that ultimately led to the company’s monumental success.

This is everything we know about Air.

Air: The Plot

     Warner Bros. Pictures

A plot synopsis for Air has been procured by Deadline, which is included below.

In an interesting deviation from a typical underdog story, the film will focus on the business side of sports, with the main conflict likely going to be between Nike’s basketball division and Deloris Jordan, Michael Jordan’s mother. Jordan’s talent agent at the time will also play a significant part in the story, as he was a part of convincing Jordan to pick Nike over the competing brand Adidas. Speaking of which, we can expect representatives from both Adidas and possibly Converse to also contribute to the film’s conflict.

“Air reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division, which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. The 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. "

A key moment we can expect to see in the film is one that rocketed Nike to market dominance. The first pair of Nike shoes Michael Jordan wore in the NBA, a pair of red and black Air Jordan Ones, was originally banned by the organization for failing to meet its color standards. Seizing an opportunity, Nike would subsequently pay an imposed fine and utilized the controversy to market the shoes to a wider, mass-market audience. Suffice it to say, it was a massive success.

Affleck appears to be genuinely excited for Air, stating that it was “the best creative and personal experience of our lives.” Let’s hope that it translates into a compelling portrayal of real events. Thankfully, this won’t be the first time Affleck was intertwined with basketball. Affleck recently collaborated with director Gavin O’Connor for 2020’s The Way Back, a dramatic story surrounding an alcoholic basketball star returning to the court in a coaching role.

Air: The Cast & Crew

     Universal Pictures

Both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will star as Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro, respectively. The two were primarily responsible for bringing Michael Jordan on board with Nike, as Vaccaro was a Nike executive at the time and Knight originally co-founded the company. In addition to acting in the film, Ben Affleck will also serve as director of the film.

The parents of Michael Jordan, Deloris Jordan and James Jordan, will be played by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, respectively. You may recognize Davis from her repeated performances as Amanda Waller in the DCU, as well as her recent performance as General Nanisca in the historical epic The Woman King. Tennon, meanwhile, has also performed with Davis in The Woman King and Custody, in addition to minor roles in Rizzoli & Isles and ER.

Additional characters expected to be in the film are Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), David Falk (Chris Messina), Peter Moore (Matthew Maher), George Raveling (Marlon Wayans), Howard White (Chris Tucker), and Horst Dassler (Gustaf Skarsgård). As of writing, there is no confirmed actor for the role of Michael Jordan himself.

Release Date

According to Variety, the current theatrical release date for Air is April 5, 2023. A release date for an eventual Prime Video release is currently unavailable.