Ben Affleck’s latest directorial feature, Air, draws on real-life events to tell the story of how the sportswear brand Nike teamed up with then-rookie and future NBA superstar Michael Jordan to launch the iconic Air Jordan shoe. Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight, while his frequent collaborator Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, the marketing exec who came up with the idea of signing Jordan.
While Michael Jordan himself does not actually appear in the movie, he reportedly met with Affleck and gave the movie his blessing—and his family are portrayed in Air. In fact, Jordan himself apparently suggested that Affleck cast The Woman King star Viola Davis as his mother Deloris Jordan. Julius Tennon plays his father James R. Jordan Sr.
The cast also includes Chris Messina as sports agent David Falk, Marlon Wayans as basketball coach George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Matthew Maher as creative director Peter Moore, and Arrested Development‘s Jason Bateman as Nike chairman Rob Strasser.
Air received rave reviews when it screened at SXSW earlier this year, and is now on general release.
Air is only in theaters
Air was released in cinemas on April 5 by Warner Bros. Pictures, despite being made by Amazon Prime. This exclusive wide theatrical release means that Air will be fully eligible for some big nominations come awards season.
When will Air be available to stream?
As an Amazon Prime production, Air is expected to come to the Prime Video streaming platform following its theatrical release, although the movie will have a longer cinematic run than a lot of made-for-streaming movies.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
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