Nike’s collaboration with Michael Jordan on its Air Jordan sneakers is one of the most famous and lucrative in the world, which is exactly why the story of how they came together is getting a movie. Air, which released its first trailer on Thursday, also reunites Good Will Hunting and The Last Duel co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who also directed the movie. Air is set to arrive in theaters on April 5.
Rather than the story of Jordan himself, Air will follow Sonny Vaccaro, played by Damon, a Nike marketing executive who bets his career on the signing of an essentially unknown rookie that he believes in: Michael Jordan. While the trailer does let on that there might be a bit of suspense, it also makes no secret of Vaccaro’s future success, giving it plenty of punchlines about characters who were unsure if this commitment to Jordan, or the shoes they designed for him, would be a success.
Air also stars Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Chris Messina (Argo), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie), and Viola Davis (Fences), who plays Jordan’s mom, Deloris, in the film. One thing that the movie doesn’t make clear is just how much Michael Jordan — that is, a dramatized younger version or current man himself — will be involved in this movie. We do get a couple shots of him from the back, but it seems that Air is mostly focused on the off-the-court drama of contracts and shoe design, so it’s possible Jordan’s actual role in the story will be a little limited.