Ben Affleck and Matt Damon reunite in new Air trailer
Air, a Ben Affleck-directed film, follows Nike's journey to court the then-unknown rookie Michael Jordan
Film News Ben Affleck
Ever since Pennyworth: The Origins Of Batman’s Butler was unceremoniously axed over at HBO Max, we at The A.V. Club know just how much the world has been hankering for a new origin story to fill that gaping hole. Luckily, Amazon Studios is stepping up to the plate with an underdog story for the ages, which follows the rise of relatively unknown cultural entities Nike and Michael Jordan, from obscure actor duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
While it may seem absurd now, Affleck’s new film Air takes us all the way back to a time (1984) when Nikes were merely an unknown second-string to Converse and Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, was little more than “a rookie who’s never set foot on an NBA court.”
Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, an executive of Nike’s then-beleaguered basketball division, tasked with raising the name of the brand. After watching a (VCR!) tape of Jordan on the court, Vaccaro stakes his entire career on scoring a partnership with the then-unknown player, a gamble which obviously ended up paying massive dividends for all parties involved, but not before passing through skeptical marketing exec Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) and, most difficultly, Jordan’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis).
Affleck is stepping behind the camera to direct Damon for the first time ever, along with a truly stacked cast that also includes Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Matthew Maher, Gustaf Skarsgård, and Julius Tennon in addition to Bateman and Davis.
Just from this short trailer, it’s clear that this is one for all the sports-movie lovers, business-movie lovers, heartwarming-story lovers, and, last but certainly not least, corded phone enthusiasts out there in the world. It truly is the story of an era.
Air premieres April 5, only in theaters.
79 Comments
Off topic but does this website really need a little video of Bill Hader repeatedly screaming in a woman’s face on the side of every article? I know this place is dying but you don’t need to be so aggressive in putting people off coming here.
I’m annoyed, but at least it doesn’t cover the content. If you use UBlock Origin, the video never comes up so it’s just a black screen in the corner, FYI.
Same as the old Air?
Jordan Minus Jordan
That’s what I was thinking. There’s no Michael Jordan character in the movie?
I mean, that doesn’t bother me per se; the story appears to be about these (white, ahem) corporate bros who came up with the idea for Air Jordans, rather than about Jordan himself, which, sure. So leave Jordan himself out of it (although having his parents as apparently major characters, without seeing Jordan, is a little weird).I don’t think this is going to be a groundbreaking movie, though; given that the trailer ends with a tropey “gee, I dunno about [thing that actually became super-popular and famous in the real world]” scene, which, let me retrieve my eyes because they rolled out of my head, I’m not encouraged that the movie is going to be particularly inspired.
Sure, he’s not got any lines in the trailer, but that doesn’t mean he’s not in the movie at all.Correction: I just looked at the imdb and there’s literally no actor credited as playing Michael Jordan. Maybe only his legs appear, like in the old Tom and Jerry cartoons?
See Matt Damon take an existentialist journey with his imaginary basketball-playing friend (Tom Hanks).
https://garfieldminusgarfield.net/
Ok, so just who in that cast is “stacked”?
Mrs. Ben Affleck…?
Not just stacked, “truly” stacked. I had the same thought, but I didn’t want to voice it lest 20 people reply back that I was a no-culture moron for having to look up half those people.Anyway, Freddie Prinze, Jr., does great voiceover work, by the way.
Well there’s a Skarsgard, even if I’ve never heard of the guy. How many of those fuckers are there, anyway??
Well, there’s Chico, Zeppo, Harpy and Grouchy Skarsgard.
Most people forget about Zeppo, so I commend you.
Like the mighty Mississippi, my references run deep.
Per Wikipedia, Stellan Skargard has 8 kids!
Pickin up chicks at MIT, no doubt.
HE HAS A FIELDS MEDAL
Well, solving an equation is almost erotic…
Particularly ones with imaginary numbers
Look, Affleck started stress eating after the reaction to the whole Batman thing and the polite thing would be to not call attention to the resultant manboobs.
I agree with ya. It wouldn’t have been my adjective of choice there.
From the minds that brought you Dog, Beast, Plane, and Paint, it’s… Air.
Triple bill: Air, Plane, and Airplane! I would turn up about three hours late.
Up, Up In The Air, Air
in your beautiful balloon?
It’s the NCU (Noun Cinematic Universe)
“After watching a (VCR!) tape”
I sincerely cannot fathom why a movie that takes place in 1984 featuring a VCR should be at all surprising/odd/whatever the hell this forced-snark implication is.
Took ‘em long enough to do the White Men Can’t Jump sequel.Beats doing crypto ads I guess
I mean, I dig the cast.
Matt Damon sure plays a type. Middle age white guy trying to succeed and doing it successfully.
After watching a (VCR!) tape of Jordan on the courtMock and scoff all your want—in 1984, a VCR was high-tech.Kids today, with their Applephones and their avocado toast….
TIL “difficultly” is a real word.
It’ll be interesting to compare this to the Lakers HBO series, which covered a parallel part to this story — Nike had been pitching the “NBA player with a signature shoe” concept for years and years before anyone had ever heard of Jordan. Magic Johnson turned them down, losing his chance at billions.
I get it, but he did OK with Converse. The Energy Wave!
Stop eating raghead Omar’s bunghole
Will this movie finally answer the question: “Who is fucking Matt Damon?”
Marijuana is bad for gerbils.
The seeds are delicious and quite healthy, thank you very much.
And introducing Michael B. Jordan as Michael Jordan
And maybe they could bring in Michael I. Jordan, the computer scientist, for help with effects.
Bert I. Gordon is probably available.
Is it correct to say that if it wasn’t for Space Jam, there wouldn’t be a Michael B Jordan?Similar to David Bowie existing because of the Monkees. Okay because of the guy who played Ena Sharples nephew in Coronation Street (deep cut reference for the fellow Brits).
Even though I know what you mean, it kinda sounds like David Bowie was the product of some sort of Monkees gang-bang.
It can be two things.
hey, why not?The Man Who Fell To Earth . . . After Some Monkee Lovin’
I will cop to making fun of Progressives on occasion; but this underdog love story circle-jerk to Capitalism trailer was sort of disgusting.
Good, that means it’s working. I’m glad.
I quite literally do not understand what this means. I’m assuming it’s snark; but as I’m lost, I don’t want to assume?
that commenter doesn’t even know they just like to hear themselves talk
As yes, Sonny Vaccaro, who almost single-handedly poisoned college and AAU basketball by originating the practice of dumping big sponsorship deals on coaches and schools. Good times.Also, everyone knew who Jordan was. He led UNC to a NCAA championship and the surprise was that he wasn’t the first overall pick. Didn’t matter than he hadn’t played yet in the NBA.
Nobody pegged him for the GOAT, or that he would almost single-handedly change the sport endorsement business, but he wasn’t a huge risk, either.
His first deal was $500k plus royalties, so it was probably novel to sign a rookie but not potentially ruinous either.
“Nobody pegged him for the GOAT”I absolutely did on account of that time Charles Oakley snuck up behind him and yelled boo and Jordan fainted.
Michael Jordan circa 1984:
Get ready for another fun-filled round of Peg The Goat!
Nike was huge in 1980 too. This is an underdog story with no underdogs.
I can just see Affleck pitch this to Damon.Air, bud !
And the ‘Dad Joke of the Afternoon’ award goes to Zod, for making me laugh out loud in an empty house.
Sounds like you’re writing a James Taylor song.
Cool. Looks like they had fun making it. Anyway, I can’t encounter a mention of MJ and Nike in the 80s without thinking about this song
All the “unknown” uses in this article are sarcastic, right? You’d think I could tell, but I can’t.
I think the editorial strategy is to include enough intentionally absurd statements to cover for the unintentionally absurd errors. Or they could just be lazy attempts at humor. Who knows?
Is Air anything like Plane?
and yet it’s nothing like Airplane!
But it’s exactly like Airplane II: The Sequel.
I really don’t know about the tone of the trailer (and the movie itself?)It’s like they’re selling us on some big drama when all we have as a story is :”I work at Nike, I want to sign Jordan and make specials shoes for him”Where is the rest of the plot? It looks more like the most expensive 2hours commercial ever made than an actual movie.
It looks awful. And like it was written by Nike PR for sure.
just what audiences have always wanted… the heroic tale of, um, an advertising deal and the advertisers who made it? yay?
It worked for Mad Men. Maybe Ben Affleck will finally get drunk and fuck Matt Damon (on screen anyway) at the end of Season 1.
just what audiences have always wanted… the heroic tale of, um, an advertising deal and the advertisers who made it? yay?
“then-unknown” national player of the year, national champion, and 3rd overall pick Michael Jordan.
My god, the stakes! If Matt Damon doesn’t succeed, the world will never have Nike shoes! How would we have carried on after that with just regular old sneakers! Perish the thought! The humanity!
AIR 2: They go to China and recruit rookie sweatshop owners. And WTF is with Sister Christian? Did Jordan want his virginity back?
This looks fun but I can’t help the slightly icky feeling that the whole enterprise is just an $80 million advert for Nike.
Nice to see that Chris Tucker is still alive, though. Where did he go for like the last 15 years?