Ben Affleck Says He Didn't Consult Nike About 'Air' Movie

Jennifer Lopez is apparently a big fan of Yellowstone, and Ben Affleck joked that he has reservations about her fandom.

We knew Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were friends, but we didn’t know that they were so close that they shared a bank account for years!

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck ham it up for the camera while filming a scene for their new movie The Instigators on Friday (March 24) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Screenwriter, filmmaker, and podcaster Brian Koppelman (“Ocean’s Thirteen,” “Rounders,” “Billions”) is a very open guy, and on his The Moment With Brian Koppelman podcast, he does AMAs (ask me anything), where he answers mailbag questions. But, for a while there, the writer/director/showrunner used to add something to the effect of, just don’t ask me questions about “Rounders 2.” READ MORE: Harvey Weinstein Says Matt Damon To Return For ‘Rounders 2,’ Robert De Niro Eyed For Villain The context here is “Rounders” is Koppelman’s 1998 poker movie he co-wrote with creative partner David Levien and directed by John Dahl.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's professional collaborations date back to their childhood friendship. But the A-list stars took their bro status a step further than most.On a recent episode of, Affleck and Damon revealed that they shared a bank account when they were in high school and trying to get their careers off the ground.«It was always like, as long as one of us had money, we knew that the power wasn't going to get shut off. After doing Geronimo, f**k, I probably had $35K in the bank in my checking account.

Jennifer Lopez is obsessed with “Yellowstone”, just like a lot of other people.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are amongst the thousands of fans that tune into “Yellowstone” whenever a new season drops. In an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Affleck revealed that he’s a bit “disturbed” by his wife’s love of the series.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon used to share a bank account in order to fund acting auditions.The Oscar-winning duo have famously been friends for the entirety of their careers and beyond, and that friendship even extended beyond the usual boundaries. Appearing on a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast (as per Variety), the two actors revealed they had one bank account between them starting in the late 1980s.The pair set up the bank account to help make their dreams of making it in Hollywood a reality. “It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions,” Damon said, before adding the arrangement was “a weird thing in retrospect.”Weighing in, Affleck said: “We were going to help each other and be there for each other.

The Bill Simons Podcast” that starting in the 1980s, they had one bank account between the two of them to help pay for auditions and jumpstart their acting careers.“It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions,” Damon admitted, saying it’s “a weird thing in retrospect.”“We were going to help each other and be there for each other,” Affleck added. “It was like, ‘You’re not going to be alone. I’m not going to be alone.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are longtime friends who have collaborated together and won an Oscar together, so perhaps it’s not surprising to learn they even shared a bank account as young actors. The duo appeared on a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” (via CNBC) and revealed they had one bank account between them starting in the late 1980s in order to fund auditions and start their acting careers. “It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions,” Damon said, calling it “a weird thing in retrospect.” “We were going to help each other and be there for each other,” Affleck said. “It was like, ‘You’re not going to be alone. I’m not going to be alone. Let’s go out there and do this together.’”

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have started production on their new movie.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s friendship and working partnership really does go all the way back to high school. At a Q&A after a New York screening of their latest project, "Air," the duo joked about working together for almost 40 years. Affleck, who directs and stars in the film with Damon, joked, "It's not the first time I've carried him," according to IndieWire.

Amazon Studios is taking to the streets to promote Ben Affleck’s “Air,” which chronicles the beginnings of the iconic Air Jordan sneaker brand. The studio has teamed up with iconic sneaker culture icon Jason Markk to host a multi-city consumer experience, dubbed “Fresh Air,” which ties into the film’s social campaign, “A shoe is just a shoe until I step into it.” The activation will see guerilla street teams flood U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago, in a unique opportunity to bring together sneakerheads and celebrate the culture and history of the sneaker community. The street team will also have a presence at the Jason Markk flagship store in L.A.

Ben Affleck has revealed that Michael Jordan had a number of demands when it came to making the forthcoming movie Air.Affleck has directed and starred in the film, which is based upon the story of Nike’s courting of the former NBA superstar to create the now iconic Air Jordan trainer. Air is set to be released next month with Matt Damon in the role of shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro, who spearheaded Nike‘s pursuit of Jordan.However, before cameras got rolling on the film, Affleck has revealed that approached the former basketball great to make sure he was happy with how the movie was set to play out. It turns out Jordan had a number of demands for Affleck, in return for his blessing – including a veto of who would play his beloved mother, Deloris.Speaking at the film’s premiere at the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, Affleck [as per Variety] 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.”One of Jordan’s demands was that the film feature Howard White, vice president of the Jordan brand and a Nike executive, who was not featured in the original script.

Matt Damon couldn’t just pick one favourite thing about working with his longtime friend Ben Affleck as a director on their new film “Air”.

Ben Affleck loves directing his longtime friend Matt Damon.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck enjoy a quick walk between promotional events for their new movie AIR.

Ben Affleck’s new film “Air” is premiering at SXSW. The film has garnered rave reviews and is an important one for Affleck, where not only he stars and directs but marks the first title made by his new production company, Artists Equity. In a new interview, Affleck spoke about his relationship with Michael Jordan and why his approval was so important to make the film.

 

Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck not only gained a wife, but also an actress for his movies!The actor has been promoting his upcoming film Air, which he directed and stars in, produced in collaboration with Matt Damon, who also stars in the biopic about Sonny Vaccaro and Nike co-founder Phil Knight and how Michael Jordan became the face of the brand.The film marks their very first project from their newly founded production company, Artists Equity, and not only are they already working on their second project, but they have also called in "a favor" from none other than J.Lo herself, who her husband says has been "a joy" to work with.WATCH: JLo and Ben Affleck argue at the Grammy's: but what did they say?MORE: Jennifer Lopez covers up in tiny towel in rare post-shower clipThe acting and producing duo confirmed during an appearance on CBS News that the multi-hyphenate will be the star of their next big project. The couple have a lot of projects on their plate as of late, as they recently moved into a new house together.Sharing details of the movie in the works, Ben said: "We're just getting rolling on working again with Amazon, to do the story of a wrestler named Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a National Championship for Arizona State."MORE: Jennifer Lopez's revelation about her twins' different lives and personalities will surprise youHowever, he wasn't so forthcoming at first about confirming his wife was also a part of the project.

EXCLUSIVE: Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place Part II and Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy is embarking on his next project with the feature adaptation of Claire Keegan’s acclaimed novel Small Things Like These. Murphy will star in and produce the film that’s been greenlighted by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity which will finance the project. Principal photography is underway in Ireland.

Michael Jordan really wanted Viola Davis to play his mom.

Ben Affleck opened up about his conversation with Michael Jordan before working on the biopic AIR.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are expanding their relationship to be professional as well as personal. Affleck and Matt Damon have announced that following their first film "Air," their new production company Artists Equity will be making a biopic of Anthony Robles, a champion wrestler who was born with one leg, and Lopez will star in the movie.

Ben Affleck is turning to someone close to home for his next big film project. Affleck and producing partner Matt Damon recently opened up about an upcoming biopic the pair are developing and confirmed that Jennifer Lopez is set to star.Affleck and Damon recently sat down for an interview with, while promoting their upcoming film , which tells the story of Nike visionary Sonny Vaccaro and his efforts to make a groundbreaking promotional deal with a young Michael Jordan.The film was the first project from Damon and Affleck's newly formed production company, Artists Equity.

For all the headlines written about Ben Affleck’s mid-career return to superhero movies, one still must wonder what movies we missed from Director Affleck while Actor Affleck was otherwise preoccupied. Even accounting for the commercial hiccup that was “Live by Night,” Affleck proved himself as a notable director in just a handful of films, putting himself on an upwards trajectory that was unceremoniously interrupted by his franchise work.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are opening up about their new movie, Air.

“Air” never quite does that — mostly due to choices in the script and direction — but it controls enough of the audience’s attention and provokes enough wonderment to deliver a solidly entertaining two hours.In 1984, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) oversees scouting basketball talent for Nike sponsorship. At the time, the sneaker company was primarily known as shoes for runners with its basketball division dwindling.

Did you know that Michael Jordan makes $400 million a year and passive income due to the percentage he gets from selling Air Jordans? Understanding how this came to be we must travel back to the 1980s and famed sneaker label Nike, in Ben Affleck’s newest film Air. Written by Alex Convery, the movie stars Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, and Julius Tennon.

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.

If there was ever a Hollywood BFF duo that people could confuse for brothers, it’s Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

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.”

Best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck hit the red carpet outside The Paramount Theater for the premiere of their new movie AIR during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals on Saturday (March 18) in Austin, Texas.

Ben Affleck is opening up about his new movie AIR.

EXCLUSIVE: Jharrel Jerome, the Emmy winner, Moonlight actor and EP/star of the upcoming Prime Video series, I’m a Virgo, which just premiered at SXSW, has signed on to star in Artists Equity’s tentatively titled Unstoppable, the Jennifer Lopez starring, Billy Goldenberg directing project we first told you about yesterday.