Air: Ben Affleck’s New Nike Movie Gets April Release Date

Amazon Studios and actor-director Ben Affleck have announced a theatrical release date for their joint project, Air, which chronicles the early days of NBA star Michael Jordan’s budding partnership with Nike. 

Affleck, Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, and Mandalay Pictures have confirmed Air will make its global theatrical debut this year on April 5, 2023. Its release in cinemas worldwide precedes its launch on Prime Video, where it will launch in more than 240 countries and territories. The Jordan and Nike story is the first from Affleck’s production company, Artists Equity, established in 2022 with Matt Damon.

Air follows the Air Jordan sneaker partnership back to its infancy in the 1980s, when Jordan began his NBA career with the Chicago Bulls. Damon will produce and star as Sonny Vaccaro, a Nike executive, while Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight. The Academy Award-winning Viola Davis will portray Michael Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, and actor Jason Bateman joins the cast as former Nike executive Rob Strasser—who later went on to work for competitor Adidas. Additional talent on Air includes Chris Tucker (Rush Hour), Chris Messina (Argo), and Matthew Maher (Our Flag Means Death). 

The film’s official synopsis mentions Davis’ role specifically, describing Air’s story as “the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.”

The Michael Jordan and Nike story doesn’t have much to share outside of its synopsis, but its cast and production team remain busy elsewhere. As longtime friends and colleagues, Affleck recently shared how Damon helped him put down the cowl and quit his role as Batman. Affleck’s name has also come up several times in more DC-related news, including a mention from James Gunn, who sounds interested in an Affleck-directed DC film. 

Thumbnail credit: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images

Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She’s worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today’s FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.