Best pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon had recently reunited as screenwriters for the Ridley Scott-directed period thriller “The Last Duel” after previously winning Oscar statues for their work co-writing the “Good Will Hunting” script. They’re now reteaming for a new sportswear drama focusing on the juggernaut shoe brand, Nike.
The Hollywood Reporter says the dynamic duo will star in and co-write the script for the untitled pic, which Affleck will also direct. The story focuses Nike executive Sonny Vaccarro and co-founder Phil Knight as the company attempts to sign the iconic Michael Jordan to endorse them in the mid-eighties, turning them into the sneaker giants they are today.
Damon is set to play Vaccarro and Affleck is in the Knight role in addition to directing. Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports are finalizing the deal.
However, it’s unknown who will land the important role of Jordan in the movie.
The historic deal helped push Nike to become a multi-billion-dollar company and sparked a massive market for sneaker collecting with Nike’s Air Jordan line being one of the more desired shoes. It would become the most significant relationship between an athletic brand and an athlete as Jordan has his own branch, Jump Man, and his popularity from the well-made Nike commercials that featured Spike Lee led to a starring role alongside the “Looney Tunes” in the 1990s flick “Space Jam.”
Jordan’s profile recently got a bump because of the Netflix documentary “The Last Dance” which focused on the Chicago Bulls player’s rise in the league to his final season with the team and briefly touched on his Nike deal.
Affleck’s last directorial effort was the 2016 gangster film “Live By Night” and its poor reception likely contributed to him being gun-shy about his next project as a director.