Ben Affleck and Matt Damon join forces once again, this time to tell the story of one of most influential sneaker endorsements in basketball history.
'AIR: Courting a Legend' chronicles the story of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro (played by Damon) and Nike founder Phil Knight (played by Affleck) breaking into the basketball market by signing a rookie Michael Jordan to the brand and releasing the biggest sneaker in basketball history — the Air Jordan 1.
Featuring an All-Star cast including Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, and Jason Bateman, AIR is now in cinemas everywhere.
Here's everything you need to know about the movie.
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What is 'AIR: Courting a Legend'?
'AIR: Courting a Legend' chronicles the intense negotiations which led to Michael Jordan signing with Nike in 1984 as a signature athlete.
At the time, Nike was predominantly focused on running shoes, with their basketball division way behind the traditional sneaker powerhouses Converse and Adidas.
Needing to make a splash in the market, the brand went all out to secure Michael Jordan's signature, paving the way for the most iconic basketball sneaker partnership in history.
The official synopsis reads as follows:
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.
AIR release date
- Date: April 5, 2023
- How to watch: In theaters
The film will officially be released on April 5, 2023.
According to Variety, AIR will release on 3,000 screens across the U.S. and following its theatrical release, the film will be available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Who is in the AIR movie? Main cast, characters
There's no shortage of star power on deck, headlined by Academy Award winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon alongside EGOT winner Viola Davis and Emmy Award winner Jason Bateman.
Affleck also directed the film — his fifth directorial effort.
| Actor/Actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Matt Damon | Sonny Vaccaro |
| Ben Affleck | Phil Knight |
| Jason Bateman | Rob Strasser |
| Viola Davis | Deloris Jordan |
| Chris Messina | David Falk |
| Gustaf Skarsgård | Horst Dassler |
| Barbara Sukowa | Kathy Dassler |
| Chris Tucker | Howard White |
| Marlon Wayans | George Raveling |
| Jessica Green | Katrina Sainz |
| Julius Tennon | James Jordan |
Who is in 'AIR' in 2023?
The film focuses on Vaccaro and Knight, as well as Jordan's parents James and Delores.
Damon plays sneaker executive Sonny Vaccaro, while Affleck portrays Nike CEO Phil Knight. The roles of Jordan's parents, James and Delores, will be portrayed by Julius Tennon and Viola Davis, respectively.
Is Michael Jordan in the 'AIR' movie?
Yes and no.
While the story centers around Nike signing Jordan, the NBA legend appears for a few fleeting moments in the film.
The film heavily relies on archival footage of Jordan to tell the story.
A young Michael Jordan is played by Damian Delano Young, however, his face is not visible during any scenes.
Affleck addressed Jordan's absence from the film during a media availability at NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City in February, explaining Jordan as a 'presence' in the film, rather than a central character.
"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.
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
'AIR: Courting a Legend' trailer
'AIR: Courting a Legend' is set to be released in cinemas worldwide on April 5, 2023.
