Ben Affleck on the Demands Michael Jordan Made Before He Directed ‘Air’

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck enjoy a quick walk between promotional events for their new movie AIR.

Matt Damon is honouring his father with his latest ink. In a video, shared by tattoo artist, Winterstone, the “Air” actor recently got the word “Nomad” tattooed on his arm.

Michael Jordan's mom in the new film, the basketball legend was adamant that the filmmakers ask Viola Davis.Now, Viola Davis is opening up to ET about Jordan's request, and how that played a factor in the way in which she approached the role.«You know, you're flattered at first and then the next second is pressure,» Davis admitted to ET at the SXSW film festival over the weekend. "[Pressure] to play the woman who basically is the orchestrator of this great athlete's life, you know?«In the film, Davis plays Deloris Jordan — while Davis' real-life husband, Julius Tennon, plays her on-screen husband and Jordan's father, James Jordan.

Ben Affleck meets up with Matt Damon and Viola Davis for a promo stop at ABC Studios in New York City on Monday (March 20).

Ben Affleck’s new film “Air” is premiering at SXSW. The film has garnered rave reviews and is an important one for Affleck, where not only he stars and directs but marks the first title made by his new production company, Artists Equity. In a new interview, Affleck spoke about his relationship with Michael Jordan and why his approval was so important to make the film.

Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck not only gained a wife, but also an actress for his movies!The actor has been promoting his upcoming film Air, which he directed and stars in, produced in collaboration with Matt Damon, who also stars in the biopic about Sonny Vaccaro and Nike co-founder Phil Knight and how Michael Jordan became the face of the brand.The film marks their very first project from their newly founded production company, Artists Equity, and not only are they already working on their second project, but they have also called in "a favor" from none other than J.Lo herself, who her husband says has been "a joy" to work with.WATCH: JLo and Ben Affleck argue at the Grammy's: but what did they say?MORE: Jennifer Lopez covers up in tiny towel in rare post-shower clipThe acting and producing duo confirmed during an appearance on CBS News that the multi-hyphenate will be the star of their next big project. The couple have a lot of projects on their plate as of late, as they recently moved into a new house together.Sharing details of the movie in the works, Ben said: "We're just getting rolling on working again with Amazon, to do the story of a wrestler named Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a National Championship for Arizona State."MORE: Jennifer Lopez's revelation about her twins' different lives and personalities will surprise youHowever, he wasn't so forthcoming at first about confirming his wife was also a part of the project.

Michael Jordan really wanted Viola Davis to play his mom.

Ben Affleck opened up about his conversation with Michael Jordan before working on the biopic AIR.

Ben Affleck is turning to someone close to home for his next big film project. Affleck and producing partner Matt Damon recently opened up about an upcoming biopic the pair are developing and confirmed that Jennifer Lopez is set to star.Affleck and Damon recently sat down for an interview with, while promoting their upcoming film , which tells the story of Nike visionary Sonny Vaccaro and his efforts to make a groundbreaking promotional deal with a young Michael Jordan.The film was the first project from Damon and Affleck's newly formed production company, Artists Equity.

Viola Davis is opening up about her role in Air, as Michael Jordan‘s mom.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are opening up about their new movie, Air.

“Air” never quite does that — mostly due to choices in the script and direction — but it controls enough of the audience’s attention and provokes enough wonderment to deliver a solidly entertaining two hours.In 1984, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) oversees scouting basketball talent for Nike sponsorship. At the time, the sneaker company was primarily known as shoes for runners with its basketball division dwindling.

Did you know that Michael Jordan makes $400 million a year and passive income due to the percentage he gets from selling Air Jordans? Understanding how this came to be we must travel back to the 1980s and famed sneaker label Nike, in Ben Affleck’s newest film Air. Written by Alex Convery, the movie stars Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, and Julius Tennon.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Americans spend tens of billions of dollars on basketball sneakers every year. Sure, everybody needs shoes, but it shouldn’t matter if your choice bears the Nike swoosh, Adidas’ three stripes or the Converse star. In most cases, consumers aren’t simply buying footwear; they’re investing in the fantasy of walking in someone else’s shoes — a sports star or personal idol — of believing that switching one’s kicks has a direct impact on your potential for greatness. As the Nike marketing gurus in Ben Affleck’s “Air” put it, “A shoe is just a shoe until someone steps into.” If you’ve been alive on earth in the last 40 years, then you already know what happened when a rookie named Michael Jordan let Nike put his name and likeness on their shoes. But “Air” isn’t about convincing the greatest basketball player in the history of the game to sign with Nike, although a “Jerry Maguire”-desperate Matt Damon — as paunchy, flop-sweating Sonny Vaccaro — might trick you into thinking this is just the (admittedly very entertaining) anatomy of a landmark business deal.

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Chris Tucker scored an MVP standing ovation at South by Southwest on Saturday night with the closing night film “Air.” One year after “Everything Everywhere All at Once” debuted at SXSW on its way to seven Oscar wins, the Austin festival launched another major crowd pleaser. “Air,” directed by Affleck and written by Alex Convery, received not only rapturous applause when its credits rolled, but also sustained cheering throughout the inspirational film — particularly in scenes involving Davis as Deloris Jordan, negotiating with Nike’s Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) for her son’s worth.

If there was ever a Hollywood BFF duo that people could confuse for brothers, it’s Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Ben Affleck is opening up about his new movie AIR.

Artists Equity, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon‘s new banner, closes this year’s edition of SXSW in Austin with its first film, “Air,” a biopic about Nike co-founder Phil Knight and the birth of the Air Jordan shoe. But AE is in talks with Amazon about their second film before their first even premieres.

Ben Affleck is gushing that his latest film, “Air”, was greatly influenced by his wife, Jennifer Lopez.

Ben Affleck worked with some of Hollywood's heavyweights to produce , the biopic about Nike's groundbreaking collaboration with NBA legend Michael Jordan -- from Matt Damon and Viola Davis to Chris Tucker and, yes, even his wife, Jennifer Lopez.In an interview with, Affleck opened up about the lengths he went to cast Davis as Jordan's mother, Deloris Jordan, which included him re-writing the script to give Davis more than just the one line she had in the original script. Affleck said he begged Davis to be part of his new production company's first project and told her, «When you're ready, let me know.