Peter Bart's article discusses Amazon's film "Air," which has received a promising start, but still faces an uphill battle to expand its theatrical openings. The article references the famous quote "show me the money" from the movie Jerry Maguire, and draws a comparison between the sports agent in that movie and the negotiator in "Air" who delivers big time for his client. The film is described as an angry, trash-talking movie that unexpectedly becomes a "feel good" epic in its final minutes. Despite not being about love or conscience, the film carries a hefty $90 million budget and even higher expectations for the future of distribution, with producers including Peter Guber and David Ellison. Amazon reportedly paid $120 million for the rights and package of the film.
Although the box office numbers for its opening week were promising, they ultimately fell short of expectations. According to a distributor, there is a lot at stake with every new theatrical release, and this year, ticket sales are down by 25%. Unfortunately, the struggles of movie theaters seem to be getting worse during this "recovery" year rather than improving.
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Nevertheless, "Air" is a captivating and well-crafted film that showcases Amazon's and its subsidiary MGM's dedication to giving theatrical releases a significant push. They aim to potentially release up to 12 movies per year in theaters.
Following Amazon's acquisition of MGM in 2021, there was concern in Hollywood that the studio's content would be solely dedicated to streaming services. However, prior to the arrival of Amazon's current chief, Jennifer Salke, the company had already produced well-received movies for adult audiences such as "The Big Sick" and "Manchester by the Sea."
From the start, "Air," starring Damon and Affleck, appeared to have a mainstream appeal. The film was a collaboration with their Artists Equity film company, which operates as a profit-sharing creators' cooperative and aims to produce three more films in 2023 with earnings shared among contributors both above and below the line.
The company is committed to releasing its films theatrically, along with other Amazon releases such as "The Covenant," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and "Challengers," featuring Zendaya.
The question that remains is whether theaters will remain viable long enough to capitalize on these upcoming releases. Recently, Cineworld, the bankrupt owner of Regal Cinemas, abandoned its efforts to sell its entire business, and National CineMedia, the theater advertising firm, is reportedly heading towards bankruptcy. This is despite the successful opening of "The Super Mario Bros Movie."
As of the end of 2022, there were approximately 39,000 screens in operation at around 4,700 theaters, compared to 42,000 screens and 5,700 theaters at the end of 2019. Despite these challenges, the movie industry has always been founded on optimism, particularly those that intersect with the sports world. "Air" follows the determined efforts of Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) as he tries to convince NBA rookie Michael Jordan to sign a major deal with Nike, thereby changing the future of sports marketing.
While much of "Air" takes place in boardrooms and meetings, the film has still managed to garner positive reviews from many critics who found it "smart and entertaining" (Washington Post). However, The Guardian has criticized the film, claiming that its focus on deal-making and corporate rhetoric turned it into "an expensive in-house corporate promotion for Nike."
Nike's history in sports endorsements has been marked by a combative nature. While Jordan became a billionaire through his partnership with the company, Olympic champion Allyson Felix later accused Nike of penalizing female athletes for various reasons, including pregnancy, with a 70% pay cut.
The first athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Nike was Ilie Nastase, the passionate Romanian tennis player and entrepreneur who also played a role in Boris Becker's career as well as his downfall (as depicted in a new Apple TV documentary).
Alex Gibney, who co-produced the documentary, sees Becker's life story as a reflection of how athletes rely on their "swagger" to overcome life's obstacles. Jordan, with his own swagger and billion-dollar fortune, has proven to be more enduring than most.
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