"Air" brought out some of Hollywood's biggest stars to chronicle how Nike pursued and ultimately signed Michael Jordan to the most important shoe deal in sports history. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Chris Tucker are just a few of the names attached to the project.
But viewers shouldn't expect to walk into movie theaters and see the NBA legend himself.
Yes, you read that correctly. Neither Jordan nor the actor portraying him play a prominent on-screen role in the film. There is a specific reason behind that decision.
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Who plays Michael Jordan in 'Air' movie?
Damian Delano Young plays a young Jordan in "Air," but his face is not visible during any of his scenes.
During a media session at NBA All-Star Weekend, Affleck, who directed the movie in addition to playing Nike founder Phil Knight, explained why Jordan is a "presence" rather than a central figure.
"You never see Michael Jordan in the movie because I thought that the minute I turn the camera on somebody and asked the audience to believe that that person was Michael Jordan, the whole movie falls apart," Affleck said. "When somebody's that meaningful and whose image, iconography is that powerful, where just their silhouette is a globally recognizable phenomenon, you lose people.
"Also, 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. So, in a way, he's like a presence that's felt and discussed, and everybody else around him is there.
"But, he himself, you never see his face. I think that, in a way, relieved some of the pressure, but there is definitely a pressure to — the only pressure I really felt was to really be respectful of and do justice to who he is, what he means to people and treat that with the appropriate respect."
Ben Affleck stopped by NBA All-Star media day to discuss his upcoming film "Air", which recounts Nike's pursuit of Michael Jordan in the 80's. However, you won't see Jordan in the movie, Affleck explains why... pic.twitter.com/NPYOA5G25z
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) February 18, 2023
Michael Jordan's one request for 'Air' movie
While Affleck wasn't looking to tell a story focused primarily on Jordan, he did value the Hall of Famer's input. Affleck received Jordan's blessing to make "Air" as long as he landed Davis to play his mother, Deloris.
"I got the script and then had the chance again to talk to Michael. Michael Jordan, for those of you who don't know, is one of the most intimidating, impressive men you'll ever see in your life," Affleck said at the movie's South by Southwest premiere. "He told me about is father. And then he talked about his mother.
"It was the first time I saw this look cross his face. It was a look of reverence, of awe, of love, and gratitude, and innocence. He said, 'None of this would have ever happened without my mother.' I said, 'Who would you like to play your mom?' He said, 'Well, it has to be Viola Davis.'
"That's like saying, 'Can I play basketball on your court?' 'Yeah, if you get Michael Jordan.' Viola Davis is the best actor I've ever seen. This is a hard business. It's hard to know if you're successful. It's hard to know if you've accomplished something. But honest to God, I always felt that if I was a director one day, and I had Viola Davis in a movie, that would really be something. That would mean the world to me. And it does."
'Air' movie trailer
"Air" will get a global theatrical release on April 5. It does not yet have a streaming release date, but it will eventually be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
