Michael Jordan signed one of the biggest shoe endorsement deals in the history of sports. So great that it influenced an entire generation’s fashion sense as well. Nike was never MJ’s top option. He had other brands like Adidas and Converse on his mind and they were ready to sign him to hefty contracts. The storyline of “Air” directed by Ben Affleck focuses on Nike’s point of view specifically.
The movie will be available on Amazon Prime Video from May 12, 2023 onwards. This movie is expected to be a hit as it is Affleck’s project. Almost all of his movies have received great reviews and “Air” already has over 90% on the Tomatometer and an ‘A’ rating on CinemaScore. The film features someone Hollywood’s biggest names such as Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Gustaf Skarsgård, Marlon Wayans, and Julius Tennon.
Ben Affleck’s ‘AIR’ is coming to Prime Video on May 12 pic.twitter.com/4RdUDAoGaY
— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) May 2, 2023
The storyline features a character named Sonny Vaccaro, a Nike Executive who went through ordeals to sign Michael Jordan. Damon plays the role of Vaccaro, whose efforts convinced the Jordan estate to finalize a deal with Nike. Both Damon and Affleck have previously worked on set together in a movie called Good Will Hunting. They even won an Oscar Award together for their outstanding roles.
Why didn’t Ben Affleck cast Michael Jordan in AIR?
Ben Affleck went through a lot before finalizing the script for the movie. Of course, this means that he had to consult with the Chicago Bulls legend himself multiple times.
According to Affleck, Michael Jordan had a long list of demands for him to fulfill. “I had a chance to sit down with Michael Jordan because I just wasn’t going to make this movie without asking him, ‘What matters to you?’ Interestingly, and tellingly, he had a few things that mattered,” he said at the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festival.
#AIRonPrime, May 12th — Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are back together in a film that is an unbelievable game-changing partnership in the real-life story between Michael Jordan & Nike, which revolutionized the world of sports with the Air Jordan brand. pic.twitter.com/U8cDwuNh4F
— LetsCinema (@letscinema) May 2, 2023
Jordan’s biggest request was that Viola Davis played ‘Deloris,’ his mother’s role. According to Affleck, Jordan claimed that she played an important role in the signing and nothing would’ve happened without her. The other demand was the addition of the character of Howard White, Vice President of Nike and Jordan Brand.
But people have questioned why Jordan never acted in film at all. Ben Affleck wrote this film centered around Nike’s story and how they were after Jordan. If Mike were a character, the story’s attention would automatically shift to him. This is why Affleck chose to keep Jordan as a looming character that never appears.
