Filming began earlier this week on Ben Affleck’s next film, an untitled Nike drama that he’ll direct, co-write, and star in alongside his pal, Matt Damon. But they will definitely not be alone, as an incredible ensemble has come together to be part of it.
Deadline reports Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Tom Papa, and Julius Tennon have joined Affleck’s new project. The film will center on the fledging shoe company’s improbable pursuit of Michael Jordan in the 1980s, an endorsement that would transform Nike into a global powerhouse and industry leader.
Affleck will play Nike co-founder Phil Knight, with Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the shoe salesman who would eventually ink the Jordan deal. Bateman will play Vaccaro’s boss, Nike exec Rob Strasser, with Davis as Jordan’s mother Deloris, and Tucker as Howard White, a former college basketball player who served as the company’s connection to the NBA. Wayans plays legendary college basketball star George Raveling, with Messina as Jordan’s first agent, David Falk.
Bateman’s schedule is open after exiting Project Artemis, the Chris Evans/Scarlett Johansson space race film that Apple dropped $100M on. Davis is currently playing Michelle Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady and reprised her role as Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. Chris Tucker continues to make sporadic appearances, most recently appearing in Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. Affleck and Damon were last seen in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel.
