Taglines Courting a legend.
Air movie storyline. The movie explores how Nike’s basketball shoe division was struggling in 1984 due to low sales, and how the company’s Marketing VP Rob Strasser and CEO Phil Knight tasked basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro to find a new spokesperson for their shoes. Although they considered third draft pick Michael Jordan off limits due to his preference for Adidas and Converse, Vaccaro convinced them that Jordan was a generational talent, and that Nike should pursue him and try to convince Jordan to sign with Nike.
Air is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery. The film is based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, a basketball shoeline, of which a Nike employee seeks to strike a business deal with rookie player Michael Jordan. It stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker and Viola Davis.
The project was announced in April 2022 with Affleck set to direct, as well as star and produce alongside Damon with their newly formed production company Artists Equity. Principal photography took place between June and July 2022 with Affleck reuniting with his frequent collaborators: cinematographer Robert Richardson and editor William Goldenberg.
While Michael Jordan was not involved with the production, he did meet with Affleck, offering several suggestions, including the casting of Davis as his mother. Originally set to premiere on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video, distributor Amazon Studios opted to release the film theatrically first after positive test screenings, making it the first Amazon title since Late Night (2019) to be released in theaters without also premiering on Prime Video.
Air had its premiere at South by Southwest on March 18, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on April 5. The film received positive reviews from critics, particularly for Affleck’s direction, Convery’s screenplay and the performances of the cast, and has grossed $90 million worldwide.
Air grossed $52.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $37.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $90 million. In the United States and Canada, Air was released alongside The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and was projected to gross $16–18 million from 3,507 theaters in its five-day opening weekend. It made $3.2 million on its first day and $2.4 million on its second.
The film went on to debut to $14.4 million (and a total of $20.2 million over the five days), finishing third at the box office; 49% of the audience was older than 35. The film made $7.6 million and $5.5 million in its second and third weekend, respectively, finishing fifth both times. Outside of the US and Canada, Air grossed $10.5 million from 59 markets in its opening weekend. In its second weekend, the film earned $6.2 million from 66 markets for a drop of 34%.
Air (2023)
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Barbara Sukowa, Julius Tennon, Matthew Maher, Joel Gretsch, Asanté Deshon
Screenplay by: Alex Convery
Production Design by: François Audouy
Cinematography by: Robert Richardson
Film Editing by: William Goldenberg
Costume Design by: Charlese Antoinette Jones
Set Decoration by: David Smith, Henry Somarriba
Art Direction by: A. Todd Holland, Gary McMonnies, Jason Perrine, Katrina Sainz
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout.
Distributed by: Amazon Studios (United States), Warner Bros. Pictures (international)
Release Date: March 18, 2023 (SXSW), June 1, 2023 (United States)
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