MGM released the first trailer for Air, which tells the true story of the Air Jordan shoe line's creation and Michael Jordan's deal with the company. The film stars longtime collaborators, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, with Affleck also directing. The new trailer will also air during the Super Bowl this Sunday.
Set in 1984, Air stars Damon as real-life Nike Executive Sonny Vaccaro, the man credited with signing all-star basketball player Michael Jordan to an exclusive deal with the shoe company. The MGM film chronicles Vaccaro's pursuit of Jordan, along with the creation of the now iconic Air Jordan sneaker line. The film stars Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Viola Davis as Jordan's mother Deloris. The cast includes Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and Gustaf Skarsgård.
The new Air trailer opens with Vaccaro struggling to keep the Nike brand afloat after being brought in by CEO Phil Knight to breathe new life into the company. In what is truly a testament to how much has changed over the years, Vaccaro is told “nobody knows what a Nike is” and that “there’s nothing cool about Nike.” Despite this, Vaccaro realizes that Nike has something that no other shoe company has: a terrible basketball line. While that doesn’t sound very compelling to his fellow execs, Vaccaro remains persistent and ends up striking gold when he discovers a young rookie player named Jordan. Convinced that he’s found his savior, Vaccaro travels to meet Jordan's parents and immediately butts head with Jordan's passionate and strong-willed mother, Deloris.
The new Air trailer continues as Vacccaro pitches his risky idea to Knight, who immediately shoots it down, not wanting to jeopardize the company on a rookie player. This still doesn’t deter Vaccarro, who plans to build a shoe line around Jordan, telling his department that he needs “the greatest basketball shoe that’s ever been created.” Vaccaro continues to ruffle some feathers, determined to put everything he has into this shoe line, believing full well that Jordan will make them "want to fly." The trailer for Air ends with Vaccaro pitching the name Air Jordan to Knight, who comically reacts with a shrug, telling him, “I don’t know, maybe it’ll grow on me.”
Air marks the first time that Affleck has directed his longtime friend and collaborator Damon. The two Hollywood Stars won an Academy Award in 1997 for the script for Good Will Hunting and have continued to collaborate on numerous projects over the years. Affleck is also known for directing the Academy Award-winning 2012 film Argo, in which he starred. Air will be the first film Affleck directed since the 2016 prohibition crime film Live By Night, which was a critical and box office bomb. Air was produced by MGM, which was acquired by Amazon last March. The new film is expected to be given a 3000-screen theatrical release by Amazon, making it the largest theatrical release in the company’s history.
Warner Bros. will distribute the film internationally, with Amazon handling the domestic release and the streaming premiere after the extended theatrical window. The company also reportedly spent $7 million on the upcoming Super Bowl spot. Like Vaccaro, Amazon seems to be betting a lot on the upcoming film.
Air will premiere in theaters on April 5th, 2023.
Source: MGM | Youtube