The trailer has arrived for Air, an upcoming true-story picture that tells of how Nike partnered with then rookie basketball player Michael Jordan in a game-changing brand deal – one that led to the hugely successful Air Jordan shoe line.
Matt Damon stars as Nike marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, who played a pivotal role in getting Jordan on board to sign a deal that, as the film’s logline reads, “revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand.” The shoes were produced for Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls in late 1984 and released to the public in 1985.
Ben Affleck, making his fifth film as director here, stars as Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Interestingly, the film will not be featuring Jordan as an on-screen character, although the trailer does tease a glimpse.
The cast includes Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan; Jason Bateman as Nike director of marketing Rob Strasser; Chris Messina as sports agent David Falk, who represented Jordan for his entire career; Marlon Wayans as George Raveling; and Chris Tucker as Howard White.
Air will be opening in Australian and U.S. cinemas on April 5th.
