Ben Affleck’s ‘Air,’ Starring Matt Damon, To Get A Theatrical Release In April

Before the pandemic, Amazon Studios was much more interested in releasing films with full theatrical runs before putting the feature on Prime Video. However, when COVID made that an impossibility, we saw the studio rely more heavily on Prime Video exclusives and shy away from full theatrical runs, even for films that were vying for awards season gold. Well, it appears that’s going to be changing yet again, as Amazon announced its release strategy for the upcoming film, “Air.”

According to Amazon Studios, Ben Affleck’s upcoming directorial effort, “Air,” is getting a full, worldwide theatrical release in April. This is in contrast to what Amazon has previously done over the past few years, with films getting either no theatrical run or very limited runs before hitting the Prime Video streaming service. But apparently, the studio is confident audiences are going to fall head over heels for its Nike biopic. And it’s obvious to see why.

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“Air” is directed by Affleck and tells the story of the rise of Nike thanks to its partnership with a young Michael Jordan. The film has an all-star cast that includes Affleck, as well as Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, and Chris Messina. The film is written by Alex Convery.

Here’s the synopsis:

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows 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. 

“Matt and I are very excited for audiences to see ‘Air’ and proud that it’s the first release from Artists Equity,” said Affleck. “The movie was an extraordinary experience where we had the honor of working with some of the best cast and crew in the business, all of whom brought passion, persistence, and creativity to a collective effort at recreating a remarkable and aspirational story. I appreciate and value Jen Salke’s faith in our ability to execute on and deliver a movie we are proud of, as well as her and Sue Kroll’s incredible ongoing support of the film. Amazon Studios, Skydance, and Mandalay were all critical to getting this done, and the film couldn’t have been made without them.  We value the steps it took on each of their parts to make it happen and want to thank them. This was the best creative and personal experience of our lives and we look forward to many more like it.” 

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Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios, added, “Ben, Matt, and this all-star cast have delivered a fantastic film that will move, inspire, and entertain audiences around the globe. With Ben’s incredible direction, the film delivers a nostalgic look back at a culture-defining moment that absolutely lends itself to a global theatrical event.”

It’s unclear when exactly “Air” will arrive on Prime Video. While the film will be getting a big theatrical release, we’ve seen studios still put a film on streaming as little as a month after its theatrical debut. However, we just don’t have any info about that for now. What we do know is that “Air” will debut in theaters on April 5.