Sonny Vaccaro Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

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.

Selome Hailu Ben Affleck says he never would have made “Air” without Michael Jordan’s blessing, but that blessing came with one major request. Her name? Viola Davis. Directed by Affleck, the movie stars Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike employee who convinced Jordan to sign the deal that allowed for the creation of the Air Jordan shoe line. Introducing “Air” at its South by Southwest world premiere, Affleck said, “I had a chance to sit down with Michael Jordan, because I just wasn’t going to make this movie without asking him, ‘What matters to you?’ Interestingly, and tellingly, he had a few things that mattered.”

The Ben Affleck-directed Nike film Air from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures is set to close out the SXSW Film Festival in a surprise showing ahead of its global April 5th theatrical release, Deadline can confirm. The screening is expected to take place at Austin, TX’s Paramount Theatre at 6:30 p.m on March 18.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Nike drama “Air” is heading to Austin, Texas. The movie will screen to the public for the first time at SXSW as the festival’s closing night film on March 18. Currently on the SXSW website, there’s a TBA under the Closing Night Special Screening at Paramount Theatre at 6:30 p.m. Amazon is releasing “Air,” which centers on real-life Nike shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro and his pursuit of basketball phenom Michael Jordan, in theaters on April 5. According to the film’s logline, “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.”

Super Bowl trailer for “Air,” a film that tells the story of how a multibillion-dollar shoe empire was built around another legendary sports champion: Michael Jordan. “Air” is the latest film made by longtime partners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, with both men starring and producing with Affleck directing.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are set to reunite for AIR: Courting A Legend – check out a new trailer above.Affleck is set to direct AIR: Courting A Legend, which is based on the true story of how Nike creating its iconic sneaker the Air Jordan and the company’s relationship with basketball great Michael Jordan.“Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) and Nike pursue basketball rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionises the world of sports and contemporary culture,” reads the synopsis for AIR: Courting A Legend, with Affleck set to star as Nike’s CEO Phil Knight.“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.”The first trailer was premiered earlier this week while a new, Big Game Spot was shared during the 2023 Super Bowl. AIR: Courting A Legend is set to release April 5 and will star Viola Davis, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Matthew Maher and Chris Messina.Last year, Ben Affleck said that Matt Damon helped him quit portraying Batman, though he is set to appear as the caped crusader in The Flash.The pair recently co-starred and wrote Ridley Scott’s medieval epic The Last Duel, which they proudly declared to be a feminist film.Based on the 2004 book of the same name by Eric Jager, the film is based on the true story of the last medieval trial by combat.

Having a laugh. Jennifer Lopez seemingly poked fun at Ben Affleck‘s viral Grammys reactions while promoting his new movie Air.

Matt and Ben at it again! Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite onscreen in the forthcoming biographical movie Air.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming up once again to tell the story of maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and the creation of the iconic Air Jordan shoe brand. It’s the first time Affleck has directed Damon, a longtime collaborator and friend on features like “Good Will Hunting” and “The Last Duel,” the former of which earned the duo a Best Original Screenplay Oscar.Starring as Vaccaro, Damon leads the film directed by Affleck (who also stars), featuring a script by Alex Convery.

Some great news for exhibition this morning: Amazon Studios is getting back into the wide theatrical release business with Ben Affleck’s Nike movie Air starring his fellow Good Will Hunting co-Oscar winner Matt Damon. Air will get a global theatrical release on Wed, April 5 this year, heading into the lucrative Easter weekend. This is the first wide theatrical release from Amazon since its Sundance acquisition, Mindy Kaling’s Late Night, which was a wide summer release back in 2019.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer David Ellison’s media company Skydance has completed a $400 million investment round, led by global firm KKR and the Ellison family. Previous investors RedBird Capital and Tencent have also upped their contributions, bringing the total valuation of the producer behind “Top Gun: Maverick” to over $4 billion. The Ellison family remains the majority stakeholder in the venture. “Skydance has already created a diverse collection of premium content across multiple formats, and we are only in the early stages of what they can accomplish. We look forward supporting the Skydance team as they continue to build their business across TV, film, animation, gaming and sports and tell compelling stories in new and innovative ways,” said KKR parter Ted Oberwager, who leads the gaming, entertainment, media and sports verticals within KKR’s Americas Private Equity business.

EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Green (The Outpost) is the latest addition to the cast of Ben Affleck’s Nike drama for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures, in which Affleck will star opposite his Good Will Hunting collaborator Matt Damon.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were spotted on the set of the untitled Nike movie for the first time. The two were spotted walking and talking while drinking Diet Cokes on set in Los Angeles. Affleck is set to direct, write, co-star and produce while Damon will star, write and produce the film about former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro's life story, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are teaming up again for a new movie that Ben is going to direct and the star-studded supporting cast was just announced.

More casting details are emerging about the new project that will once again team up Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Angelique Jackson Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s upcoming movie about the sports marketing executive who relentlessly pursued basketball legend Michael Jordan in the mid-’80s has added a troupe of all-star actors to its line-up.Emmy-winner Jason Bateman, Academy Award-winner Viola Davis, Chris Tucker and Marlon Wayans have signed on to star opposite Affleck and Damon in Prime Video’s untitled film, along with Matthew Maher, Chris Messina, Tom Papa and Julius Tennon.Damon plays maverick sneaker salesman and former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, and Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the film, from Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures. The movie tells the story of Nike’s long-shot effort to sign Jordan to the shoe company, an endorsement that seemed impossible at the time, but would become the most significant relationship between an athletic brand and an athlete.

EXCLUSIVE: Ben Affleck’s untitled Nike drama for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures has assembled a stellar cast, with Jason Bateman (Ozark), Viola Davis (The Woman King), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour franchise), Marlon Wayans (Respect) and Chris Messina (Sharp Objects) signing on for roles, along with Matthew Maher (Our Flag Means Death), Tom Papa (Behind the Candelabra) and Julius Tennon (The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar). In addition to directing, Affleck is starring in the pic which entered production in Los Angeles on Monday, alongside his fellow Good Will Hunting Oscar winner, Matt Damon.

EXCLUSIVE: While Ben Affleck just started Monday directing the untitled drama about maverick sneaker salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon)’s dogged pursuit to get Michael Jordan to lace up in Nike shoes, Affleck and Damon are getting traction on their own groundbreaking endeavor.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are making their return. ET can confirm that Affleck and Damon will reunite for a still-untitled sports marketing film.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are reuniting once more. The close friends and frequent collaborators have announced their new project together, a film that explores Nike and how it managed to secure a partnership with Michael Jordan in the ‘80s, one of the most significant moments in sports marketing.Ben Affleck and Matt Damon talk about making ‘The Last Duel’ and working with Ridley ScottJennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s astrological read: What do the stars say about their future?Affleck and Damon will both star, co-write, and co-produce the film.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are once again teaming up for a project — this time, about the legendary deal between Nike and Michael Jordan.

according to The Hollywood Reporter.Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports are reportedly in the midst of finalizing the deal for the flick alongside the two Oscar winners.The “Ford v Ferrari” star will play Vaccaro and Affleck will portray Nike co-founder Phil Knight.The story will revolve around the sports sneaker company and Vaccaro attempting to sign basketball player Michael Jordan in the mid-eighties for an endorsement deal. The partnership seemed impossible at the time, however, the deal became one of the most significant in sports history.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterBen Affleck can’t stop reuniting with his famous partners.The Oscar winner and co-screenwriter of “Good Will Hunting” is re-teaming with his Boston bestie Matt Damon on a new feature film from Amazon Studios, Sykdance Sports and Madalay Pictures. It will center on the sports marketing executive who relentlessly pursued basketball legend Michael Jordan in the mid-’80s. Affleck will direct, star and co-write.