(L to R) Cillian Murphy (as J. Robert Oppenheimer) and writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Christopher Nolan’s historical biopic was not only a box-office powerhouse but also delivered compelling performances and stunning visuals.
The film chronics J. Robert Oppenheimer‘s career from the beginning of his studies to his role in the Manhattan Project to the 1954 security hearing. The film used color to differentiate between Oppenheimer’s point of view and Lewis Strauss’ point of view – with color representing Oppenheimer and black and white for Strauss. The difference in color also depicts their personality, where Oppenheimer sees the world in bright colors, while Strauss sees it in black and white.
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The official synopsis for ‘Oppenheimer’ is below:
“During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.”
Who Is In The Cast of ‘Oppenheimer’?
Robert Downey Jr is Lewis Strauss in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
The film did not use any CGI or VFX to recreate the Trinity Test blast. As we saw with Nolan’s 2020 film ‘Tenet’, the director has always had a knack for creating realistic and explosive moments on film with practical effects. To recreate the atomic bomb detonation, Nolan worked with cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema to capture the explosion on film.
Working closely with special effects supervisor Scott Fisher and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, they first ran tests by dropping silver particles in an aquarium.
“We built aquariums with powers in it. We dropped silver particles in it. We had molded metallic balloons which were lit up from the inside. We had things slamming and smashing into one another, such as ping-pong balls, or just had objects spinning,” said Van Hoytema.
The explosion was captured in in close-up at variable frame rates, combined with Van Joytema’s IMAX cinematography which filled the screen with an image that is both beautiful and deadly. When this moment is played in the theaters, the film goes silent as the detonation flashes before the deafening blast shakes and resonates in everyone’s core.
(L to R) Tom Conti is Albert Einstein and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
‘Oppenheimer’ held its world premiere on July 11, 2023, at Le Grand Rex in Paris. The film was released domestically on July 21 in formats such as IMAX 70mm, stand 70mm, and 35mm. The film was released simultaneously as Warner Bros.’s ‘Barbie’, creating the internet phenomenon known as “Barbieheimer.”
‘Oppenheimer’ earned over $82.4 million on its opening weekend and has since grossed over $322.4 million domestically and $933.8 million worldwide, making it the 2nd highest-grossing R-rated movie. ‘Oppenheimer’ has a total runtime of 3 hours.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Oppenheimer’ below:
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While some theaters are still playing the movie, options are limited as the film has passed its 45-day theatrical window. Currently, there is no word on when the historical biopic will be released on digital or streaming. ‘Barbie’, which was released at the same time as ‘Oppenheimer’, is already available on digital. However, it is possible the film remains in theater longer as Nolan requested a longer theatrical window.
If the film were to follow the release schedule of Universal’s ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’, arriving on its streaming service Peacock 120 days after its theatrical release. That could mean ‘Oppenheimer’ would be available on streaming by mid-November.
(L to R) Emily Blunt is Kitty Oppenheimer and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
The “Barbenheimer” sensation set a box office record this past weekend as fans spill into the theaters for both movies. With endless memes on the internet and fans planning their double-feature viewing strategy for ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’, the phenomenon has set the weekend box office on fire. Showing up in a sea of pink for Greta Gerwig’s latest film, ‘Barbie’ opened to $155 million. Not to be outdone, Christopher Nolan’s visually stunning ‘Oppenheimer’ follows with $80.5 million on opening day.
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The massive box office number is due to audiences refusing to choose one or the other, making their double feature an event of the summer. As the “Barbenheimer’ trend continues to grow on social media, many small businesses leaned into the theme, creating shirts and accessories to celebrate the release. Fans show off their outfit changes as they go from one movie to the next. Star of ‘Barbie’ Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig have also shown their support by posing for a photo in front of a poster of ‘Oppenheimer’ with tickets in hand.
‘Barbie’ also sets a record high for a movie by a female director, surpassing ‘Captain Marvel’ ($153.4 million) and ‘Wonder Woman’ ($103.3 million). Currently, both films are certified on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with ‘Barbie’ at 91% and ‘Oppenheimer’ at 94%. Worldwide, the movies have earned a combined $551.1 million, with ‘Barbie’ earning $337 million and ‘Oppenheimer’ earning $174.1 million.
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A New Record For AMC Entertainment
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Movie theaters struggled with attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been slow to recover. The opening of both films sent masses to the theaters, setting the highest records since post-pandemic. According to AMC, Saturday was their busiest day since July of 2019. They recorded their fifth-highest single-day US ticket revenues in their 103-year history. AMC also recorded 87,000 members of their Stubs loyalty program members booked tickets for both movies over the weekend.
AMC CEO Adam Aron sends a personal congratulations to both films:
“AMC sends an enormous thank you and congratulations to Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and the entire team at Warner Bros., and to Christopher Nolan and the team at Universal Pictures. They’ve demonstrated that well-made, well-marketed films that captivate audiences can open on the same weekend and both enjoy great success.”
One of the main driving forces leading the audience into the theater is ‘Oppenheimer’ being shot with IMAX cameras and offered in formats such as IMAX 70MM. While it’s not the first movie to be shot with IMAX cameras, Nolan’s visionary storytelling and use of practical effects create a theatrical experience that cannot be duplicated at home.
It is likely for the “Barbeheimer” trend to continue well into the summer as fans continue to show up for their chance to see the movies.
Greta Gerwig attends the ‘Barbie’ Press Tour, Sydney Australia 2023. Photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Contact: jade.perry@nbcuni.com.
Christopher Nolan has crafted another masterpiece with an epic historical biopic that is as captivating as it is compelling. What begins as a character study eventually unfolds into an intriguing political mystery with unexpected twists and turns. Cillian Murphy gives the performance of his career as the conflicted and complicated J. Robert Oppenheimer, while Robert Downey Jr. also gives one of his finest performances to date as Lewis Strauss, Oppenheimer’s eventual adversary.
Story and Direction
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
The three-hour long movie tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer from his early years studying physics in Germany, to eventually being recruited by the U.S. government to work on the Manhattan Project and the aftermath of the creation of the Atomic bomb. The story is mostly told in flashbacks from both Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss’ points of views. Oppenheimer is defending his actions following WWII in a secret government meeting, while Strauss is addressing a Senate committee as he has been appointed to a cabinet position. We see the events as they unfold as memories for both characters, with Strauss’ in black and white, and Oppenheimer’s depicted in color, which also represents the characters personalities as Strauss sees the world in black and white while Oppenheimer sees bright colors.
Christopher Nolan is unarguably one of the most celebrated filmmakers of his generation and is known for making twisty movies like ‘Memento’ and ‘Inception,’ as well as historical documents like ‘Dunkirk,’ but ‘Oppenheimer’ excels because it does both at the same time and embraces everything Nolan does well. Nolan’s script is smart, cutting back and forth between both Oppenheimer and Strauss’ hearings and their individual flashbacks, and using that to frame the story of creating the Atom bomb. But the movie is also a political thriller, and has a ‘Usual Suspects’ level twist towards the end that you won’t see coming.
Nolan sets an epic tone for the film, which is grand in scope and design, and he gets the very best out of his ensemble cast. Nolan’s use of cutaways to visual effects of atoms, molecules, fire and stars representing thoughts running through Oppenheimer’s head were interesting but thankfully used sparingly. While the film is long at just about three-hours, it goes fast and Nolan uses the most of his time setting the stakes for the drama and allowing his cast room to breathe. The movie also looks gorgeous, thanks to Nolan and the work of cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema.
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Cillian Murphy is best known for playing the Scarecrow in Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ movies and hasn’t really had the chance to show off his talents until now. As the title character Murphy delivers a strong and layered performance with authority that gives the movie a feeling of importance and urgency. Oppenheimer is driven, egotistical, brilliant, self-absorbed and conflicted, and Murphy conveys all of this with very little effort, giving a seamless performance. This is definitely the actors best work, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t get a lot of attention come awards season.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Performance
Robert Downey Jr is Lewis Strauss in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most popular actors of his generation, but after a decade of playing Iron Man, it’s easy to forget just how good a dramatic actor he is and this movie helps remind us of that. Despite the title, ‘Oppenheimer’ is almost as much Downey’s movie as it is Murphy’s, and the actor completely holds his own narrative well. While the two actors share few scenes together and Downey’s role is supporting, his character is pivotal to the story and the true antagonist of the film. In a career as impressive as Downey’s, it’s hard to say this is his best performance, but it’s certainly on the short list, and I’m starting the campaign now for Downey to get nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Supporting Cast
Matt Damon is Leslie Groves in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Nolan has always assembled incredible casts of actors for his projects, but the abundance of riches here is a bit embarrassing. The movie stars a who’s who of talented actors, and I of course can’t mention all of them, but I will say Matt Damon stands out. Damon plays Leslie Groves, the General that recruited Oppenheimer. The actor plays the role with a bit of his signature charm, which fits the otherwise serious military figure well. Damon also has good chemistry with Murphy, and the two characters forge a nice friendship together.
Surprisingly, Josh Hartnett, who’s been away from the big screen for some time makes a fantastic comeback as Ernest Lawrence, one of Oppenheimer’s colleagues. Hartnett gives a really strong performance opposite Murphy and is a wonderful addition to the cast. Benny Safdie and David Krumholtz also play colleagues of Oppenheimer and both actors bring a lot to their characters as well.
Josh Hartnett is Ernest Lawrence in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Florence Pugh also stands out and gives a very daring performance as Jean Tatlock, Oppenheimer’s first love. Pugh’s character is sweet and vulnerable, and you understand why he falls in love with her in the first place. But their story is also tragic, and Pugh’s tender performance gives her character a real voice in the movie.
Unfortunately, Emily Blunt’s performance as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, did not work for me. The character was not as well-defined in the script as Jean, and while Blunt is a great actress and did her best in the role, her performance falls flat with her limited screen time. The chemistry between Oppenheimer and Kitty never quite works, especially in comparison to his relationship with Jean, but perhaps that was the point.
Emily Blunt is Kitty Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
(L to R) Emily Blunt is Kitty Oppenheimer and Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
I would imagine that this film will be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars next year. I’d be surprised if Nolan doesn’t get nominated as well for both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Depending on how the rest of the year shapes up, he’ll probably walk away with at least one of those awards. Nolan’s been nominated five times before and never won, and right now, this seems like the movie and the year where he might actually win.
I think Cillian Murphy has a great chance of being nominated for Best Actor, and certainly deserves it, but I’m really hoping that Robert Downey Jr. is rewarded for his incredible performance here, as well as his overall body of work. Florence Pugh also has a chance at a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but that will really rely on who the rest of the competition will be. I would also imagine the film will receive several technical nominations as well as cinematography for Hoyte van Hoytema.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Oppenheimer’ is another Christopher Nolan masterpiece. A movie that works both as a compelling historical biopic, and an intriguing political thriller with brilliant performances from Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.
‘Oppenheimer’ received 9.5 out of 10 stars
(L to R) Cillian Murphy (as J. Robert Oppenheimer) and writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
‘Air’ follows the true story of the rise of Nike and chronicles the upstart shoe company’s attempt to sign NBA rookie Michael Jordan to a sneaker deal. Nike employee Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) believes the only way to save the fledgling company is to invest everything in a rookie who’s never stepped foot on a professional court, who might just become the greatest player of all time. Against the wishes of Nike owner Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) and Jordan’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina), Vaccaro travels to North Carolina to meet Jordan’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis) in person and desperately tries to convince her to influence her son to sign with Nike.
The result is an extremely entertaining and inspiring movie about believing in yourself, which has a similar humorous tone to ‘Argo,’ but is also reminiscent of ‘Moneyball’ and ‘Jerry Maguire.’ Affleck keeps the story suspenseful, even though we know how it ends, and the film is anchored by fantastic performances from Damon, Tucker, Bateman, Messina, and Davis.
For those that don’t know, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck grew up together in Boston and broke into Hollywood when they co-starred and co-wrote ‘Good Will Hunting,’ which earned them both Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. With the exception of a few appearances together such as Kevin Smith’s ‘Dogma,’ the two actors went their separate ways professionally, both becoming movies stars in their own right. But when Affleck’s acting career began to stumble, he went behind the camera to direct ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ ‘The Town,’ and ‘Argo,’ which won an Oscar for Best Picture and resurrected his career.
While their appearance in Ridley Scott’s ‘The Last Duel,’ which they also co-wrote, marked their first big screen collaboration in decades, ‘Air’ marks the first time Affleck has ever directed his childhood friend. Since the movie is based on a well-known true story, we all know the outcome, but somehow Affleck still adds suspense to the film and keeps the audience engaged the entire time. Set in the 80s, Affleck relies heavily on nostalgia, which in a way fuels the movie. He sets the tone during the first frame of the movie when you hear Dire Straits’ ‘Money is for Nothing’ and you see a montage of the 80’s greatest pop culture moments. In fact, the 80’s soundtrack is well chosen and adds to the ultimate enjoyment of the film.
The film touches on themes of believing in yourself, even when no one else will, but also emphasizes the importance of Mothers and the sacrifice they all make for their children. Affleck also wisely made the choice not to cast an actor to play Jordan himself, which for the most part works really well but does become slightly distracting in the later scenes, but more on that later.
Affleck is definitely the comic relief in the movie, playing Nike founder Phil Knight as a bit of a buffoon, with his over-sized Oakley sunglasses and fluorescent colored tracksuits. Whether the portrayal is accurate to real-life events or not, it is entertaining and works for the tone of the film. It’s also a pleasure to see Affleck and Damon share the frame again, almost 30 years after ‘Good Will Hunting.’ Vaccaro and Knight, while friendly, are at odds through most of the movie, and the scenes crackle when the two actors go at it.
Matt Damon, who physically transformed for the role gaining weight, gives a very good performance and anchors the movie, especially when more colorful characters like Knight, David Falk and Howard White are on screen. However, Damon never really gets submersed in the role, as you always realize you are watching Matt Damon play a character. In contrast, you believe Chris Messina, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, and even Affleck to a degree are their characters, but Damon never quite achieves that level.
Don’t get me wrong, Damon’s still very believable in the role and definitely does the heavy lifting carrying the narrative of the movie, but I never really got a sense of who Sonny Vaccaro was, other than a gambler willing to risk everything. But Damon brings all of his own charm and personality to the role, which works, especially in the tender scenes with Davis’ Deloris Jordan, and the two create a sweet bond that is pivotal to the outcome of the story.
According to Affleck, Michael Jordan had three requests to give his blessing to this production, and top of his list was that Oscar winner Viola Davis must play his mother, and I can’t think of better casting. Davis oozes gravitas and commands every scene she is in, creating a powerful presence as Deloris Jordan. Because Michael Jordan is a phantom presence in the movie, Davis’ character becomes the focal point of the story, and the actress commands her scenes with ease. The character is talked about a lot up to the point we meet her halfway through the movie, and the actress’s first appearance on screen does not disappoint.
Davis has great chemistry with Damon, and you get the feeling that Jordan is impressed with Sonny, and again, the bond they form is beautiful and really pays off in the end. Also fun, is that Davis’ real life husband Julius Tennon plays her onscreen husband, Michael’s late father, James R. Jordan Sr. While a small role, Tennon is very memorable in the part and of course as you would expect, has great chemistry with Davis. Jordan Sr. was a very affable fellow, and Tennon’s giant smile fits the character perfectly. You understand from the first moment you see him that he knows his wife is the boss, not Michael, and in turn, the other characters and we the audience understand that important point very quickly too.
The supporting cast is rich with terrific characters and performances. Remember when I mentioned Jordan had three requests for Affleck, the second one was that he create a part for George Raveling, who was Jordan’s Olympic coach and pivotal to him taking the Nike deal. Luckily, he was best friends with Vaccaro in real life, so it made sense for the character to reach out to him during the film. While its only one scene, Marlon Wayans is impressive as Raveling in a bar sequence giving advice to Vaccaro. Wayans has good chemistry with Damon, looking like they truly are old friends and being quite funny, in moments that were very likely improvised.
Jordan’s third request was a role for Howard White, vice president of Nike’s Jordan Brand and another person pivotal in Jordan’s signing with Nike. Chris Tucker plays White with absolute charm and enthusiasm as only Tucker can. He’s really great in the role, very funny, and has a strong chemistry with Damon, as White is presented as a mentor to Vaccaro.
Also great opposite Damon is actor Chris Messina who plays Jordan’s agent David Falk. Messina plays the agent as a cross between Buddy Ackerman in ‘Swimming with Sharks’ and the title character from ‘Jerry Maguire.’ He’s loud, obnoxious, rude and absolutely hilarious when screaming at Damon over the phone, and the two actors have really fun scenes together.
Finally, beloved actor Jason Bateman gives one of his best performances as Nike publicist Rob Strasser. Bateman brings his signature witty and sometimes sarcastic attitude to the character, which works well, but it’s his few dramatic scenes that are really impressive. The actor has a monologue near the end that her recites beautifully and is the motivating factor for Damon’s character in the final moments. It’s a great showcase role for Bateman, and the actor also has very good chemistry with Damon.
Nobody, well, kind of. As previously mentioned, Affleck did not cast an actor to play Michael Jordan, but he does have a stand-in for Jordan in a few scenes using over the shoulder and obscured shots to give the idea of his presence. This was absolutely the correct choice as casting an actor to play the GOAT (Sorry LeBron!), would have been too distracting. That being said, not casting an actor to play Jordan was also distracting, so really there was no good choice.
Not showing Jordan and making his parents the focal point makes sense and works up until the end. But by the time we are in the final scenes, where Jordan and his parents finally meet with Nike, it’s odd that they are spending so much time focusing on Deloris and basically ignoring Michael. I know what Affleck was going for, but I think it would have been better if they built on the anticipation to see Michael, which they basically do, and then finally show him, briefly, in the final scene, casting a look-a-like actor but perhaps with no dialogue. It would seem like a better payoff.
Not to mention that some of the angles in which Affleck shoots the stand-in playing Michael to obscure him also seem odd in the context of the rest of the movie which is shot more traditionally. Ultimately, none of this really hurts the movie as a whole, and the real Jordan is actually seen throughout the movie in plenty of archival footage.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Air’ is a really funny, entertaining, and inspiring movie that is extremely interesting and suspenseful, even if you already know the history of Air Jordan. Affleck is a very gifted filmmaker and storyteller, and ‘Air’ is one of his best. It’s super fun and nostalgic to see Affleck and Damon together again onscreen, and they are surrounded by a cast of wonderful performances from the likes of Davis, Bateman, Messina, and Tucker.
‘Air’ is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. It is set to release exclusive in theaters on April 5, 2023.
Biopics of well-known figures often struggle with condensing the lives of their subjects. But part of the brilliance of the very entertaining ‘Air,’ which reunites director-star Ben Affleck and good friend Matt Damon on screen, is the manner in which it smartly sidles up to a legendary figure — in this case basketball star and all-around icon Michael Jordan — and tells a very specific story that manages to illuminate not only an important time period in his life, but a broader moment in American culture.
You see, ’Air’ tells an origin story, of sorts. Instead of a caped superhero, though, it’s about the unlikely genesis of Air Jordans — the shoe line which would come to dominate not only hoops culture but global business at large, presently racking up more than $5 billion in annual sales.
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Based on the true tale of Nike’s attempts to woo Jordan to sign an exclusive shoe contract before he’s ever suited up and played a game of professional basketball, the movie stars Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the sports marketing executive and longtime hoops scout who pushes Nike chairman and CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) to abandon the standard practice of spreading around endorsement deals, and instead put all their effort into signing one player he believes has the potential to be a star. Viola Davis and real-life husband Julius Tennon portray Deloris and James Jordan, the hoops legend’s loving parents.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending a pair of virtual press conferences for ’Air,’ along with several other outlets. In attendance in one interview session were Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, and Matthew Maher, while the second session of the double-tilt featured Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Marlon Wayans, and screenwriter Alex Convery.
Here are 10 things we learned from the ’Air’ press conference, edited for clarity and length.
1. Ben Affleck Was Going to Walk Away From the Film If Michael Jordan Asked Him To
Ben Affleck is a Golden Globe Best Director winner, so his commitment behind the camera would be enough to get movies of a certain budget made. But his commitment to ‘Air’ wasn’t absolute.
Ben Affleck: I went to speak to Michael, because I’ve been lucky enough to run across him a few times. I’m not gonna act like me and him are friends. I just like idolized the guy, and every now and again I’ve had a chance to spend time with him. It’s been very memorable for me, though probably he’s forgotten it. But I had at least enough of an in to say, “Hey, can I come see you and just run this past you?” Because to be honest, from a point-of-view of respect for him, his family, who he is, and what he means, the stupidest thing in the world would be to go make a movie that, (even though) he doesn’t appear in, nonetheless invokes his name and tells a part of his story, if he was opposed to. So if he said don’t do it, I just was gonna not do it. That would be that. And I was very, very prepared for that to be the result of (our conversation), because I had no reason to think he would be open to it or that he would welcome it. However, what I found was that he was very gracious when I said, look, this is not historically accurate, in the sense that I can’t dot every I and cross every T — this is gonna have to be something of a fable, a parable, an inspiring story. So I’m gonna take liberties in order to make it an hour and 30 or 40 minutes, but I don’t wanna violate anything that’s fundamentally important or true to you. So if you would please tell me what those things are, I promise you they’ll be sacrosanct. And I think it was telling that he wasn’t somebody who was like, “Whoa, we gotta talk about when I did this, and I did that,” (because) there are people who take that approach. He only talked about other people. He wanted to make sure that other people who were meaningful were included in the story. George Raveling was one of them. Then he also said Howard White is integral to this too.
2. Screenwriter Alex Convery Watched ’The Last Dance’ Just Like You
The 10-episode Netflix docu-series ‘The Last Dance’ was a huge hit during the early months of the COVID pandemic. And in fact it birthed the idea for ‘Air.’
Alex Convery: I’m a ’90s Chicago kid, which is where the Bulls and Michael Jordan and my connection comes from. But like everyone else, I was locked up during those first couple of months of quarantine, watching ‘The Last Dance.’ There’s a little five-minute clip about Nike and just how Air Jordans came together. And I was at a point in my career where, you know, you’re trying to write a script that gets noticed. So when you can explain the movie in one sentence — it’s a story of how Nike got Michael Jordan — it has that ability, you know? It goes to the top of the pile, and maybe people will give it a bit more of a chance. But like everything, it comes down to characters, right? So the question was, who can be the protagonist and the engine of this movie? And finding both Sonny and Deloris was really, to me, what elevated it above just a movie about a shoe and Michael Jordan. It’s finding the human elements in a very big movie. I call them “big little movies.” The little (part) being, this is just a movie about a shoe deal, right? It takes place over a week or so, and it’s small in scope, but the big part is when you say it’s about Nike and Michael Jordan. You could talk to 100 people on the street, and all 100 of them are going to know who Michael Jordan is and what Nike is. And to me, that’s what kind of elevates it above just a movie about a shoe.
3. Michael Jordan Asked For Viola Davis To Play His Mother
The hoops G.O.A.T. had some casting advice for Ben Affleck, rooted in his strong relationship to his mother Deloris.
Ben Affleck: (Michael) said, “You know, I didn’t wanna go to Portland. I would’ve signed my shoe rights away for life for a red Mercedes. My mom told me to go to Beaverton.” And when I saw how he talked about his mother — the regard and esteem in which he held her, the reverence and respect and adoration and love when he talked about his mother — it just shocked me, and shame on me for not kind of assuming this was the case. But when I heard it, I realized right away this is the story — and a beautiful story. It’s a story about Deloris Jordan and what she means to Michael, and that she’s emblematic of what so many mothers must have meant to so many athletes and entertainers and people in this business who are oftentimes very young and thrust into a world of fame and money that can be confusing, and must require enormous amounts of guidance. So I thought, actually this is brilliant. This is what the story is. This is beautiful, and this is the protagonist. And I said offhandedly (to Michael), who do you think should play your mom? And he said it has to be Viola Davis. I was like, okay. That’s kind of like saying, “Can I get a basketball team together? Sure. It has to (have) Michael Jordan.” You’re like, well, all right. (laughs) But then I thought, you know, this is very typical of who this guy is. Like, it has to be the very best, absolutely. So I knew that it was incumbent on us to create a role that was worthy of Viola, and we tried to do that.
4. Viola Davis Found Her Character In a Preternatural Steadiness
Michael Jordan is famously one of the most competitive and intense athletes of all time. His mother Deloris, though, had a different defining characteristic.
Viola Davis: Stepping into the role, if you watch videos, Deloris Jordan is a study in Zen neutrality. The woman is very, very steady and quiet, you know? I mean, I would imagine that even when she gets mad, she’s probably very, very, very steady. (laughs) So to really just envelope that spirit and everything was a challenge for me, because I’m the woman who always has a chip on her shoulder. I go in bombastic, you know? So it was both flattering, challenging, and then just a joy to work with Matt and Ben and all these terrific actors. Me and Julius still talk about it to this day, as just one of the greatest experiences.
5. As With a Lot of Interesting Stories, ’Air’ Surprisingly Reframes a Known Character or Entity
With annual revenue in excess of $45 billion, Nike is the undisputed giant of the footwear and athletic apparel industry. But not in ‘Air.’
Matt Damon: We were really trying to capture the spirit of these people in this time more than anything — not exactly who said what at exactly what moment. All of these people on the Nike side, independent of one another, have talked about this time with such nostalgia. And that’s what we were trying to create and remind people about, you know? They were the underdog, which is such a weird way to think of Nike now. But before this incredible deal, they really were these renegades, and kind of outsiders. And so it really is one of those stories that comes along and you go, “Wow, this is really for everybody.” We used to call them feel-good movies. You should leave the theater with, like, a skip in your step.
6. The Sensitivity Modeled in Deloris and James Jordan’s Relationship Mirrors Viola Davis’ Real-Life Relationship
In real life, James Jordan modeled a quiet strength, preferring to let his wife Deloris handle most of the talking. But he stood by her fiercely. For Davis, parts of the relationship mirrored her own marriage with Julius Tennon.
Viola Davis: That is our dynamic in real life. You know, Julius has told me since we got together, he said, “Vee [phonetic], now when you come home and it’s late at night, you make sure you don’t get out of that car until the gates close. And if someone’s following you, you lay on that horn and I’m gonna come out with my baseball bat, and I’ll put it on their ass.” (laughs) And, you know, I laid on the horn once by accident after coming home at three o’clock in the morning, and I counted to five. Julius came out with the baseball bat, and I knew — I was like, “That’s it, I’m gonna marry him. This is my dude.”
7. Chris Messina Enjoyed His Character’s Angry Phone Calls
Chris Messina co-stars as David Falk, Michael Jordan’s famously hot-tempered agent. But for scenes in which he has heated phone calls, he wasn’t just yelling by himself.
Chris Messina: When Ben calls you up, you don’t even need to read the script, because I’ve gotten to work with him now three times and it’s always an amazing experience. It’s always surrounded by great artists in front of the camera and behind the camera. So when I read it, I loved it, but I was like, “Oh shit, these are a lot of phone calls.” (laughs) But Ben did something that I’ve never done in my career, and I’ve done a lot of phone calls. Usually you call the other actor, the phone disconnects, or a script supervisor does it with you. But Matt and I were actually down the hallway from each other. We each had three cameras on us, and Ben would go back and forth from room to room, we’d all get together and we had a blast doing it. The script was amazing, but we could play, we could overlap, we could improvise.
8. Marlon Wayans Used YouTube For Research, But Wasn’t Aiming For an Impression
In basketball circles, George Raveling is a well-known figure — and, as Marlon Mayans learned, one with other connections to history at large. But neither Wayans nor Affleck wanted an impersonation.
Marlon Wayans: I did a crash course on YouTube, and I learned a lot about George Raveling. I learned he was a fantastic man. And when I read the monologue (in the movie), and the fact that that was real, and that he still has (the original copy of Martin Luther King’s) “I Have a Dream” speech in his possession, I just thought that it was an amazing character to play. And usually, the more you research, the better you can do in terms of your performance. But what I love was when we went on set, Ben was like, you know, “We’re not impersonating. You can bring you to it.” And for an actor that’s always the best thing you can do: when I can mix that person with my emotions and what you bring. The script was already written so beautifully, but also we got to play. Then I could get out of my head and really have fun. And that’s what it was. When I left the set, I just felt like if every day on that set felt like the first day, that’s going to be a magical movie.
9. Ben Affleck Has Always Wanted to Work with Chris Tucker
Everyone knows about Ben Affleck’s longtime friendship with Matt Damon. But ‘Air’ checked some other boxes for the multi-hyphenate, too.
Ben Affleck: This is a group of people who either I had known for a long, long time, (many) of whom I’ve worked with multiple times and know well and adore and admire, and then people who have been my sort of life’s goal to work with, in Viola Davis and Chris Tucker. In fact, I think Chris can attest the number of times I’ve harassed him — he passed me by in a hotel lobby and I’m like, “Chris, Chris, Chris, I wanna do a movie with you!” (laughs) I feel like humor is the highest form of intelligence, you know what I mean? So I feel like guys like Chris are the smartest, most interesting people you can meet. People to find the humor and the joy in life is just a magic that I wanna be around. Like, a few times I’ve made him laugh and I take a secret pride in that. I’m like, “He just laughed at my joke!”
10. Matthew Maher Located a Similarity Between His Character, the Designer of the Iconic Air Jordans, and Athletes
Of course, everyone knows Michael Jordan, too. But to hardcore sneaker-heads, designer Peter Moore is also a celebrity — and he even wore it like an athlete.
Matthew Maher: Weirdly, Peter Moore just passed away like a week before I was offered the movie. And I definitely did dive in (for research), I read a lot of blogs and I watched documentaries where he was featured. But what shocked me was looking at his designs and his ideas, which were so amazing and ahead of their time, where he’s talking and he’s just like a regular guy, you know? He’s talking and he says, “Yeah, there was too much red and then we decided to just leave it that way.” He was very like direct (in all his descriptions). And I thought the biggest parallel was listening to how pro athletes talk about what they do, which is like, “Well, we just kept at it,” even though they’re doing these amazing things (that others can’t). A genius doesn’t always express himself very well when he’s talking about his (own) genius acts.
‘Air’ is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. It is set to release exclusive in theaters on April 5, 2023.
What did Ben Affleck say about directing at DC Studios?
Asked whether he’d be up for directing a DC movie, Affleck had this to say,
“I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.”
This is likely news –– at least in public –– to James Gunn, who took to Twitter in December replying to a fan question about Affleck by saying this:
“Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project.”
You can read more about what Gunn said here:
Met with Ben yesterday precisely because he wants to direct & we want him to direct; we just have to find the right project. https://t.co/Haz1APdlVN
Affleck also did not hold back from talking about how unhappy he was while making the theatrical version of ‘Justice League’.
Here’s what he said,
“That was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in a business which is full of some shitty experiences. It broke my heart. There was an idea of someone [Joss Whedon] coming in, like, “I’ll rescue you and we’ll do 60 days of shooting and I’ll write a whole thing around what you have. I’ve got the secret.” And it wasn’t the secret. That was hard. And I started to drink too much. I was back at the hotel in London, it was either that or jump out the window. And I just thought, ‘This isn’t the life I want. My kids aren’t here. I’m miserable.’ You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit, and most of it you’re just standing against the computer screen going, ‘If this nuclear waste gets loose, we’ll …’ That’s fine. I don’t condescend to that or put it down, but I got to a point where I found it creatively not satisfying. Also just, you’re sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, “I don’t want to participate in this in any way. And I don’t want to squander any more of my life, of which I have a limited amount.”
Despite that, he still squeezed back into the “rubber suit” for ‘The Flash’, where he reprises the role of Batman. And he feels like he finally got a handle on the role.
Affleck said this of coming back to the role,
“I did finally figure out how to play that character, and I nailed it in ‘The Flash’. For the five minutes I’m there, it’s really great. A lot of it’s just tone. You’ve got to figure out, what’s your version of the person? Who is the guy that fits what you can do? I tried to fit myself into a Batman.’
‘Air’, in which he also plays as Nike co-founder and former CEO Phil Knight, will be in theaters on April 5th before it then heads to Prime Video.
‘Air’ is produced by David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. It is set to release exclusive in theaters on April 5, 2023.
Having famously switched his filmmaking operations to Universal from longtime home Warner Bros. after dissatisfaction with the straight-to-HBO handling of some movies and its treatment of ‘Tenet’, Christopher Nolan has been working away on his next movie, ‘Oppenheimer’.
Universal, naturally, is going all out to promote this one, including with this first, unusual teaser, which features fragments of footage from the film, some voice-over dialogue referring to its subject matter and an ominous countdown clock.
Some have speculated that it’s to the release date – but not in America, as those figures don’t sync up. But with the movie opening in Singapore the day before its Stateside release, it makes more sense.
Nolan here is adapting the Pulitzer Prize-winning book ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’ by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. It chronicles how he was part of the infamous Manhattan Project and played a key role in the creation of atomic weapons, yet later came to have complicated feelings about their deadly power. He lobbied for international control of nuclear power and opposed the creation of the even more destructive hydrogen bomb.
Cillian Murphy, a Nolan regular, plays Oppenheimer, who is glimpsed briefly in this first footage.
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer’ written and directed by Christopher Nolan.
Emily Blunt is playing his wife, biologist, and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, with Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project and Robert Downey, Jr. as Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Florence Pugh will portray psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, who turns out to have a hidden agenda, while Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller. Michael Angarano is physicist Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.
Look, at this point it’s probably easier just to list the people who aren’t in Nolan’s latest. It might be the first end credits crawl in years where the cast runs for a longer time than the effects teams.
‘Oppenheimer’ sees Nolan tackling a historical subject again, and one that surely offers the opportunity for plenty of his terse dialogue and large-canvas visions. It won’t surprise you to learn that it has been shot and be and released on 65mm IMAX and large-format film. Providing the beautiful footage is another repeat Nolan colleague, director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema, while composer Ludwig Göransson returns after scoring ‘Tenet’. A pulse-pounding biopic thriller with high stakes certainly feels like it could work well for Nolan.
‘Oppenheimer’ will be in theaters here from July 21st.
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer’ written and directed by Christopher Nolan.
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(L to R) Christian Bale, Chris Hemsworth, Taika Waititi, and Tessa Thompson in Marvel Studios’ ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’
The first teaser for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ was just that… a tease. We got glimpses of Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian Avenger trying to find himself after all his battles and adventures.
Of course, the new Marvel movie wouldn’t exactly thrill fans if it was two hours of Hemsworth sitting around on a yoga mat (though we’re sure people would still go and watch it). Which means that of course he’ll be thrown back into a big story full of gods, monsters and lots the humor that director Taika Waititi brought to his previous outing, ‘Thor: Ragnarok’.
The big threat this time is from Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who, as his name suggests, has a real problem with gods. He’s sick of how the powerful omnipotent beings care little for those whose lives their ruin, and he, well, again with the name thing, aims to kill them.
Thor is naturally on his list, though the likes of Zeus (Russell Crowe) should also be worried. And Crowe’s character features in one of the big laugh moments of the trailer, as he accidentally strips our hero, much to the fainting consternation of the women around him. All, of course, except for Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).
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Oh yes… Jane Foster. She’s back in Thor’s life in a big way and has her own god-like powers. While there’s an explanation for that in the comics, the trailer naturally is going to let the movie explain all of that. All we do know is that Jane can wield Mjolnir and dispatch baddies with her own lightning abilities. Plus, she’s certainly got some strength there. While there’s no sign (yet) of Kat Dennings’ Darcy, the double act between Jane and Valkyrie shows promise.
Also around (though probably not spending much time in the movie), the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, Dave Bautista’s Drax, Karen Gillan’s Nebula, the Vin Diesel-voiced Groot, and Rocket Raccoon, brought to life as usual by Sean Gunn on set with the vocal tones of Bradley Cooper. Oh, and we can also expect to glimpse Kraglin (also played by Gunn, without needing his Rocket performance capture equipment).
Waititi’s back in performance capture gear himself to play Thor’s rocky pal Korg, who becomes something of a storyteller here. Could we be seeing a framing device for the movie? It’s also a funny moment for the character. Who, as you might figure is an unreliable narrator.
And it’s not just gags – there’s plenty of action and the usual deep dive into Thor’s character. Written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson alongside Waititi and featuring the likes of Jaimie Alexander (back as Lady Sif), Sam Neill, Melissa McCarthy, and Matt Damon (McCarthy joins a returning Neill and Damon as actors playing Asgardian heroes), ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ rumbles into theaters on July 8th.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on HBO’s ‘Project Greenlight.’
Longtime friends and occasional creative partners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are reuniting once again for a new movie that promises to tell a true story set in the world of sports.
Specifically, the movie – which doesn’t currently have a title – follows the quest of Nike executive John Paul Vincent “Sonny” Vaccaro to sign Basketball legend Michael Jordan to a sponsorship deal with the company in the 1980s.
The movie originated as a spec script called ‘Air Jordan’ (inspired by one of Jordan’s nicknames and the iconic sneakers that title would birth) by Alex Convery. It was bought by Mandalay Pictures, which has now teamed up with Skydance Sports and Amazon Studios to produce the final film.
Affleck is locking down a deal to re-write the script, direct and co-star in the movie alongside Damon, who will also have a hand in the writing process. He’ll be playing Vaccaro, while Affleck appears as Nike co-founder Phil Knight. It’s just the latest example of Damon and Affleck writing and starring together, following their Oscar-winning success with ‘Good Will Hunting’ and their more recent efforts both in co-writing (with Nicole Holofcener) and appearing in ‘The Last Duel’ for Ridley Scott.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in ‘Good Will Hunting.’
Also covered in a 2015 ESPN ‘30 for 30’ documentary titled ‘Sole Man’, the story follows Vaccaro’s audacious attempts to sign Jordan to what was then the third-place shoe company, a journey that took him to Jordan’s parents, and in particular his powerful, dynamic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisors, and friends.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan will be a mythic figure hovering above the movie and never seen, even as Vaccarro tries to reach him by gaining access to those close to him and around him. The eventual deal would become the most significant relationship between an athletic brand and an athlete. The deal launched the global, multi-billion-dollar contemporary sneaker industry. So… er… spoiler alert? At least, for the two or three of you who may not have heard of Nike Air Jordans.
The documentary helped open the doors to get the movie the rights it needed as Skydance Sports boss Jon Weinbach, who co-directed that, putting him in close contact with Vaccaro. He also produced epic Jordan documentary ‘The Last Dance’, which featured the former shoe executive.
Damon will be back on our screens in a small cameo for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, reprising his role as an actor who played Loki in a stage production in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. Taika Waititi’s latest MCU effort will be in theaters on July 8 this year, and recently launched its first teaser. He’s currently part of the gigantic cast for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, due out on July 21, 2023.
Damon is also an executive producer of 1990s Boston-set Showtime drama ‘City on a Hill, returning for its third season this July.
As for Affleck, he’s another of the ‘City on a Hill’ executive producers and on the film front, is scheduled to show up as Bruce Wayne/Batman in ‘The Flash’, headed our way on June 23 next year. As far as we’re aware, Affleck is not in ‘Oppenheimer’, but give Chris Nolan a day or so and that could all change.
(L to R) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon win Best Original Screenplay for ‘Good Will Hunting’ during the 70th Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.
On the heels of the latest casting news comes a first look at the movie – or at least the man playing the title character – Cillian Murphy is seen here sporting a hat and cigarette as Robert Oppenheimer, one of the scientists behind the bomb.
Nolan here is adapting the Pulitzer Prize-winning book ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’ by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. It chronicles how he was part of the infamous Manhattan Project and played a key role in the creation of atomic weapons, yet later came to have complicated feelings about their deadly power. He lobbied for international control of nuclear power and opposed the creation of the even more destructive hydrogen bomb.
Emily Blunt is playing his wife, biologist, and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, with Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project and Robert Downey, Jr. as Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Florence Pugh will portray psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, who turns out to have a hidden agenda, while Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller. Michael Angarano is physicist Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.
Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in ‘Death on the Nile.’ Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
We also don’t know who Branagh will be playing, but this marks his third time working with the director, after ‘Dunkirk’ and ‘Tenet’. Still, the award for Most Frequent Collaborator surely goes to Murphy, who appears in ‘Batman Begins’, ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, ‘Inception’ and ‘Dunkirk’.
‘Oppenheimer’ sees Nolan tackling a historical subject again, and one that surely offers the opportunity for plenty of his terse dialogue and large-canvas visions. It won’t surprise you to learn that it’ll be shot and released on 65mm IMAX and large-format film. Providing the beautiful footage is another repeat Nolan colleague, director of photography Hoyte Van Hoytema, while composer Ludwig Göransson returns after scoring ‘Tenet’. A pulse-pounding thriller with high stakes certainly feels like it could work well for Nolan.
For the first time in several movies, this won’t be released by Warner Bros. Following the less-than gigantic (partly because of its slot during the pandemic) box office for ‘Tenet’, Nolan and producing partner Emma Thomas opened this one up to rival studios, with Universal winning the rights to distribute, handing down a July 21, 2023 theatrical release date.
