Amazon releases trailer for Nike’s Air Jordan biopic

Yahoo Finance's Dave Briggs tips off the discussion by breaking down Amazon's latest trailer for "Air", the sports biopic detailing the conception of Michael Jordan's basketball shoe line.

Video Transcript

DAVE BRIGGS: The movie industry is, quote, "finished, and will never come back." Those are the stark words from former Paramount CEO Barry Diller. I, for the most part, agreed with that grim sentiment this morning. Sure, we still have Marvel movies and the once-every-20-or-so-years epic smash hit from James Cameron. But for the most part, what used to bring my family and yours to the movies is a distant memory.

But then came a spark. A light I long thought burned out suddenly flipped on. Who would have thought Amazon was responsible for turning that switch? The trailer for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's upcoming Nike drama, "Air," released, and with it, goosebumps. Watch.

- There's nothing cool about Nike.

- You would have to have a pretty compelling pitch.

[NIGHT RANGER, "SISTER CHRISTIAN"] Where you going, what you--

- I got it.

- I found them. Who's that? Jesus?

- Can't afford it.

- I'm willing to bet my career on one guy.

(SINGING) Mama's worrying

- My name is Sonny Vaccaro. I'm with Nike.

- Do you typically make it a habit of showing up at people's front doors unannounced?

- I don't like to take no for an answer.

- Oh, man. Here we go.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- I need the greatest basketball shoe that's ever been made.

- Who's the player?

- Michael Jordan.

(SINGING) You're motoring.

- But the shoe is just a shoe.

- Until my son steps into one.

DAVE BRIGGS: Oh, if you're not excited for that, something is wrong with you. You don't have a pulse. How about them apples, you might say. The film from Amazon Studios hits theaters April 5th. Affleck plays Nike founder Phil Knight. Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, as you saw there, the sports marketing legend who signed Michael Jordan. Twenty years after his retirement, the Jordan brand still makes Nike nearly three billion a year, more than a quarter century after "Good Will Hunting."

Fifty-somethings Ben Affleck and Matt Damon still get it. What Hollywood seems to have largely forgotten, inspiring, uplifting, true storytelling like Jordan shoes still sells. And just like Jordan's Bulls, this flick has a strong supporting cast. Best Actress Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, who's hysterical, Chris Tucker. They fill out the starting five. This movie just might be my favorite movie in 10 years.

I think it's going to be in my top three of all time, and it doesn't come out until April. I just think these are the types of movies that we used to see with our sons and daughters, and they just don't make them anymore, because they've got to be these massive, super hero-type, blockbuster hits. You're not feeling my goosebumps.

SEANA SMITH: I am feeling your goosebumps. I'm going to say there's a lot riding on the line with your hype going into this movie. I just hope that it's able to deliver. I love the trailer, though. I am very, very excited for it. Clearly, it's going to be a home run. I think, like, you're talking about Affleck and Damon will largely come out winners on this, but it's also a huge home run for Amazon as well.

And I think it could really reshape the streaming game in terms of how they release some of their big movies. We've seen some resistance from Apple, from Netflix in the past, but the pressure is going to be on them to follow suit, I think. Because I do think you're right. I think this is going to be the movie that gets a lot of people back into theaters, people that haven't yet returned from the pandemic, and Amazon clearly is going to come out on top there too.

DAVE BRIGGS: Yeah. Amazon deserves a lot of credit for courageous, taking on stories like this, that I think can really resonate with an audience. A colleague of mine said, why do you think Michael Jordan wasn't in that trailer? And I said, that was a stroke of genius, because whoever plays Michael Jordan-- And they haven't even told us that. It's not in any of the press releases. That would have been the only thing people concentrated on, because they would have said, that wasn't like the real Michael Jordan I don't think you'll hear him speak much in this film, because that can only disappoint people. OK, I'll stop.

SEANA SMITH: Are you going to be able to sleep the night before you go? It doesn't sound like it.

DAVE BRIGGS: I will sleep outside the theater--

SEANA SMITH: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think--

DAVE BRIGGS: --in a sleeping bag--

SEANA SMITH: --you definitely will. I think you definitely will. All right. We are all clearly very hyped for this movie.