UPDATED 1/23/23, 10 p.m. ET: Air, the directorial feature from Ben Affleck which also stars his longtime friend Matt Damon, will be released in theaters on April 5, as reported by Variety.
As part of Affleck and Damon’s collaboration with Amazon Studios under their newly-created production company Artists Equity, the film will head on over to Prime Video following its theatrical run.
“Matt and I are very excited for audiences to see Air and proud that it’s the first release from Artists Equity,” Affleck said in a statement. “The movie was an extraordinary experience where we had the honor of working with some of the best cast and crew in the business, all of whom brought passion, persistence, and creativity to a collective effort at recreating a remarkable and aspirational story.”
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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are joining forces, once again.
The Oscar-winning duo is developing a film about former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the project will tell the real-life story of the sneaker brand’s quest to secure a partnership with Michael Jordan. Though the NBA legend will never appear in the 1980s-set film, it will follow Vaccaro as he connects with Jordan’s mother, former coaches, friends, and advisers, before ultimately landing one of the biggest endorsement deals in sports history.
Affleck and Damon will co-write and co-produce the untitled film for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, and Mandalay Pictures. Damon will star as Vaccaro, while Affleck will direct the motion picture, as well as play Nike co-founder Phil Knight.
The film is based on Alex Convery’s original script, titled Air Jordan. THR reports Mandalay Pictures—ran by Peter Guber and Jason Michael Berman—took the script to Skydance Sports’ Jon Weinbach, who also co-produced the award-winning docuseries The Last Dance. After he received the script, Weinbach helped the team land Vaccaro’s life rights. Affleck and Damon are now in the process of revising the script.
No other casting information has been released, and it remains unclear when the film is expected to drop.
Damon and Affleck previously won Oscars for writing the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, in which they both starred. The two recently reconnected on 2021’s The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott. Damon and Affleck co-produced, and co-starred in the project alongside Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Harriet Walter. The duo also co-wrote the script alongside Nicole Holofcener.
