Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, and More Join Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Nike Drama Film

A star-studded cast is coming together for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Untitled Nike Film Project at Amazon. It’s been announced that the film, which is being directed by Affleck, has added Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Ozark), Viola Davis (The Help, Suicide Squad), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour), Marlon Wayans (White Chicks) & Chris Messina (The Mindy Project, Sharp Objects) to its cast. Damon and Affleck are also starring in the film, with Affleck playing Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Damon playing sneaker salesman Sonny Vaccaro.

They join previously announced cast members Matthew Maher (Our Flag Means Death), Tom Papa (Behind the Candelabra), and Julius Tennon (The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar).

“The untitled sports marketing film will tell the incredible story of how maverick sneaker salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) led a fledgling running shoe company called Nike in its pursuit of the most transformative athlete in the history of sports: Michael Jordan. Affleck will portray Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the story surrounding Nike’s longshot effort to sign Jordan to its shoe company in the mid-’80s, an endorsement that seemed impossible at the time but which would become the most significant relationship between an athletic brand and an athlete and launched the global, multibillion-dollar contemporary sneaker industry. Sonny’s relentless quest to sign Jordan to what was then the third-place shoe company takes him to Jordan’s parents, and in particular his powerful, dynamic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisors, friends and those close to Michael. Jordan himself is a giant mythic figure hovering above the movie and never seen, while Sonny tries to reach him by gaining access to those close to him and around him.”

“Bateman will play Vaccaro’s boss, Rob Strasser, the longtime Nike executive and attorney-turned-branding-guru who oversaw the company’s marketing and messaging across all sports. Strasser was an instrumental figure in Nike’s efforts to sign (and later promote) Jordan.

“Davis will play Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, who was an enormous influence on Michael’s Nike deal, with Tucker as Howard White, a former college basketball player at the University of Maryland. White was a junior executive at Nike’s fledgling basketball department in the early ’80s, regularly serving as the company’s day-to-day connection with its roster of NBA players, which included such notable names as Moses Malone, George Gervin and Artis Gilmore.

“Wayans has been cast as college basketball trailblazer George Raveling, who was the first Black coach in two iconic conferences—the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pacific-10. Additionally, in 1984, he was the head coach at the University of Iowa and an assistant of the gold medal-winning U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team, where he met and befriended Michael Jordan. Raveling was a dear friend of Vaccaro’s, and with Sonny’s prodding, he first introduced the idea of signing with Nike to Michael.

“Messina has been tapped to play Jordan’s original agent, David Falk, who had represented several prominent NBA players prior to signing Michael, including a pair of No. 1 overall NBA draft picks—James Worthy (Michael’s former teammate at University of North Carolina) and Mark Aguirre. Falk is often credited with coming up with the name ‘Air Jordan.’ Maher will play Peter Moore, the legendary designer for Nike (and later Adidas) who created the designs for the first Air Jordan sneakers, in addition to the iconic ‘Wings’ and ‘Jumpman’ logos for the Air Jordan brand.

“Papa is playing Stu Inman, the former Portland Trail Blazers executive, who famously selected oft-injured center Sam Bowie ahead of Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft, with Tennon as Jordan’s father James, who also influenced his decision to sign with Nike.”

This sounds like a great original story, which was originally written by Alex Convery, and developed by Affleck and Damon. It will be a cool story to see unfold, with a lot of talented people involved. The Amazon film started production last Monday in Los Angeles, so we should be hearing more about it soon. Are you looking forward to checking it out?

via: Deadline