Air is a 2023 American biographical drama film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery. The film stars Matt Damon and Affleck alongside Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis.
Air was theatrically released in the United States on April 5, 2023, by Amazon Studios. The movie premiered at South by Southwest on March 18, 2023, and was met with critical acclaim.
Premise[]
Sonny Vaccaro, a shoe salesman at Nike, works to sign rookie Michael Jordan to a deal to wear their shoes.
Cast[]
- Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro
- Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
- Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser
- Chris Messina as David Falk
- Marlon Wayans as George Raveling
- Chris Tucker as Howard White
- Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan
- Matthew Maher as Peter Moore
- Tom Papa as Stu Inman
- Julius Tennon as James R. Jordan Sr.
- Joel Gretsch as John O’Neil
- Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler
- Barbara Sukowa as Kathy Dassler
- Jessica Green as Katrina Sainz
- Dan Bucatinsky as Richard
Production[]
The script was written by Alex Convery in 2021, appearing on that year's Black List under the title Air Jordan.[1] It was reported in April 2022 that the script was picked up at Amazon Studios, with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon teaming to star in the film, while Affleck would direct.[2]
Filming began in Los Angeles on June 6, 2022, with Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans and Chris Messina amongst several additions to the cast.[3][4][5] Robert Richardson served as cinematographer, using the Arri Alexa 35 camera to film with.[6] It wrapped up in July 2022.[7] The same month, Joel Gretsch, Gustaf Skarsgård and Jessica Green were announced to be among the cast.[8][9] The character of Michael Jordan, however, is not portrayed in the film.[10]
Release[]
Air had a wide theatrical release in the United States on April 5, 2023, the first Amazon has given since 2019's Late Night. Warner Bros. Pictures handled the film's international theatrical release, through its distribution deal with the Amazon-owned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Amazon will also give the film a longer theatrical window before hitting Prime Video globally than their previous limited theatrical releases.[11]
Amazon spent $7 million on an ad to air during the Super Bowl LVII.[12]
Reception[]
Box office[]
In the United States and Canada, Air will be released alongside The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and is projected to gross $16–18 million from 3,500 theaters in its five-day opening weekend.[13]
Critical response[]
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 95% approval rating out of 78 reviews from critics, with an 8/10 average rating. The site's consensus reads "A fact-based drama that no one will dunk on, Air aims to dramatize events that changed the sports world forever -- and hits almost nothing but net." Metacritic assigns the film a score of 78 out of 100 based on 45 reviews, reporting "Generally favorable reviews".
Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, writing "Thanks to Affleck's sure-handed, period-piece-perfect direction, a crackling good screenplay by Alex Convery and the lively, funny, warm, passionate performances from the A-list cast, Air is as entertaining and fast-paced as an NBA Finals game that is destined for overtime."[14] Peter Debruge, writing for Variety, gave the film a positive review and praised the performances, saying: "Air ought to be taken as the ultimate example of the American dream, a funny, touching Cinderella story about how the third-place sneaker brand wished upon a star, and how that man — and his mother — were smart enough to know their value."[15] The Hollywood Reporter's Lovia Gyarkye also gave the film a positive review, calling it "For most audiences, Air will be worth seeing just for the starry cast — particularly the reunion between Damon and Affleck. Their scenes possess a kinetic and intimate dynamism that the rest of the film approaches but doesn't always match."[16]
Audience response[]
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an A.
Trivia[]
- Ben Affleck's first film that isn't a crime thriller (as director).
- Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, who play Michael Jordan's parents, are married in real life.
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ The Black List 2021: Daniel Jackson's Cauliflower Tops Heap Of Year's Most-Liked Unproduced Screenplays (December 13, 2021).
- ↑ Ben Affleck To Direct Nike Drama For Amazon, Skydance Sports; Will Star Alongside Matt Damon (April 19, 2022).
- ↑ Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina & More Join Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Prime Video (June 10, 2022).
- ↑ Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Launching Production Company With RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale Funding & Jeff Robinov Circling (June 8, 2022).
- ↑ Jackson, Angelique. "Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker and Marlon Wayans Join Ben Affleck, Matt Damon’s Nike Movie", Variety, June 10, 2022.
- ↑ ARRI Launches New Alexa 35 Motion Picture Camera With First Productions Underway (May 31, 2022).
- ↑ Katsilometes, John. "Chris Tucker finishes Michael Jordan film in return to Strip", Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 7, 2022.
- ↑ Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Amazon Adds Joel Gretsch & Gustaf Skarsgård (July 13, 2022).
- ↑ The Outpost Star Jessica Green Joins Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Amazon; White Men Can’t Jump Adds Euphorias Zak Steiner (July 18, 2022).
- ↑ Juneau, Jen (June 30, 2022). Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Spotted Together on Set of Their Upcoming Nike Movie.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 23, 2023). Amazon Studios Returns To Wide Theatrical With Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Nike Movie 'Air' This Spring.
- ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (2023-02-03). Ben Affleck, Matt Damon's Nike Film 'Air' to Get $7 Million Super Bowl Ad From Amazon, Plus Unprecedented Theatrical Release (Exclusive).
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 3, 2023). Let’s A-Go: ‘Super Mario Bros Movie’ Leveling Up To $225M+ Global Bow, Possibly Year’s Best So Far – Box Office Preview.
- ↑ Roeper, Richard (April 3, 2023). ‘Air,’ about Nike chasing Michael Jordan, is year’s best film so far.
- ↑ Debruge, Peter (March 18, 2023). ‘Air’ Review: Ben Affleck Turns Nike’s Quest to Sign Michael Jordan Into This Generation’s ‘Jerry Maguire’.
- ↑ Gyarkye, Lovia (March 18, 2023). ‘Air’ Review: Ben Affleck’s Ode to Michael Jordan Is Affectionate and Involving, Even When It Fails to Convince.
External links[]
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