On April 5, 2023, the world will get to see the film that will fully explain the phenomenon and mystique behind one of the most iconic brands ever. Directed by Ben Affleck, Air: Courting a Legend will make its way to theatres.
Air: Courting a Legend is the true story based on the origin of the Air Jordan shoe brand. At that time in 1984, taking such a move on a rookie player to represent a brand and likeness was unheard of. Written by Alex Convery, the film stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Jason Bateman, and Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mother.
The film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 18th, with rave reviews. The Air film tells the story how Nike and the partnership with Michael Jordan came about. At that time, Adidas was the leading brand known for signing athletes to ambassador its brand. How to court a legend? This was no easy task for Nike, Inc. execs who decided to take a chance of a lifetime. And boy di’d it pay off; however, the film follows the journey of the story of how the decision wasn’t totally up to Jordan himself, but they had to sell the idea to his mother, played by Viola Davis.
Ben Affleck stated, “Viola Davis is the best actor I’ve ever seen” when asked about how was it working with Viola Davis. After receiving the script, Affleck spoke to Michael Jordan himself and the two had a conversation where Jordan spoke of his father and mother. Jordan undying love and passion for his mother was quite apparent as his demeanor showed a sense of pride and admiration. It was there at that moment that Ben Affleck asked Jordan, “Who would you like to play your mother?” Jordan answered without hesitation, “Viola Davis.”
The film “Air”, is a powerful moving picture that demonstrates the power of believing in your dreams. For the team of execs who put their careers on the line, it was a gamble that turned gold. Today, Michael Jordan is unequivocally the Greatest basketball player of all-time and the Jordan brand is the most popular brand in the world. Air is the first film Amazon will release to theatres without premiering on Prime Video.
Air is set to be released on April 5, 2023 by Amazon Studios.
