Everything about the legend of Michael Jordan sounds like the stuff of fairy tales. The revered guard became the first-ever basketball player to have a signature shoe. His electric style of play, combined with his winning personality, made His Airness a beloved figure in sports even in his early days. Amazon Studios is partnering with Argo Ben Affleck to bring the story of Nike’s chase to bring His Airness to its fledgling basketball division with Air.
The story follows Ben Affleck as Nike’s founder Phil Knight and his frequent partner Matt Damon as the legendary Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro who is credited with signing Jordan to the historic deal. The film also stars Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mother who helped to build the iconic dynasty through her unyielding belief in her son’s uncanny abilities. While Damon and Affleck have been frequent partners throughout the decades, this marks Affleck’s first time directing his long-time friend on screen.
Air will have a global theatrical release on April 5 before going streaming on Amazon Prime. The film also stars Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler and Julius Tennon as James Jordan. The screenplay was written by Alex Convery.
