Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Team Up For The Real-Life Story Of Nike Sneaker Man Sonny Vaccaro – The Hollywood Reporter

Ben Affleck And Matt Damon They reunite again, this time for the true-to-life story of former Nike CEO Sonny Vaccaro on a landmark project that will descend from Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports, who are in the process of closing the deal.

Affleck will direct, write, co-star and produce the untitled sports marketing drama while Damon will star, write and produce. Mandalay Pictures, the banner directed by Peter Guber and Jason Michael Berman, will also be produced.

Damon Vaccaro will portray as Affleck plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight in a story about Nike’s long-running efforts to sign rookie basketball player Michael Jordan to its shoe company in the mid-1980s, an endorsement that seemed impossible at the time but thanks to a renegade sneaker salesman, It will become the most important relationship between the sports brand and the athlete. The deal launched the multibillion-dollar global contemporary sneaker industry and helped the sport do the same.

The story will focus on Vaccaro’s relentless quest to contract Jordan to what was then the number three shoe company, a journey that took him to his parents, and in particular his strong and energetic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisors, and friends. . Jordan will be a legendary figure hovering over the film and never seen before, even as Vaccaro tries to reach him by reaching out to those close to him and those around him.

Key Actions 2015 ESPN 30 for 30 Documentary titled The only man Centered on Vaccaro and his story. Skydance Sports president Jon Weinbach, who served alongside president Mandalay Guber as one of the producers for the Emmy-winning Jordan series the last dancewas integral to obtaining the rights to Vaccaro’s life.

Weinbach worked with the basketball industry veteran when he co-directed The only man Now with Dan Marks Senior Vice President at Skydance Sports. Mandalay first captured the original script, which was purchased by Vice President Jordan Muldeau titled Air Jordan It was drafted by Alex Convery and then transferred the project to Weinbach at Skydance Sports.

Affleck and Damon are now rewriting the script for the project, which will be the first major feature from David Ellison’s newly released Skydance Sports division. Skydance is already connected to the world of sports through its investor, RedBird Capital.

This project will mark the first time Affleck has directed a movie starring his longtime friend Damon. The two are best known for their Oscar-winning screenwriting for good will fishing, which starred Damon and had Affleck in a supporting role and was directed by Jos Van Sant. The couple also met last year for The last duel Directed by Ridley Scott, starring Damon again and Affleck in a supporting role.

Convery is a regular member of the blacklist by text man bag Landing in 2018 List & Biography of Stan Lee Carpentry! Featured in the 2020 list. It is represented by UTA and Grandview.

Affleck and Damon are represented by WME.