Both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are well-known actors in the business who have a lengthy history together. They have worked together on several projects as one of the most well-known on-screen teams in the business, with the most recent being the biographical sports drama Air.
Their first movie together was 1997’s Good Will Hunting by Gus Van Sant. The psychological drama was a huge success and it was a great watch for all types of moviegoers, reviewers, and critics. To this date, the movie remains a major highlight of their immensely successful career.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Had to Recast their Director
Being in the industry for more than three decades, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have both starred in a large number of blockbuster films and franchises and have also turned a large number of scripts into blockbusters. They came to public attention when they wrote and starred in the film Good Will Hunting, for which they won numerous prestigious awards including multiple Academy Awards.
With their stunning performance, they have gained a great deal of not just popularity but also respect from the public and the industry as they are currently ranked among the top actors of this generation. Their movies have grossed billions of dollars and collected countless awards and nominations.
But the Oscar Winning movie was about to spiral out with Mel Gibson directing it as the duo was forced to replace the director for the movie. Gibson was one of the best available directors of that time, with multiple Oscars wins and nominations there was a handful of directors better than him.
“Mel Gibson developed it for a few months. Matt at one point said directly to Gibson, ‘Look, man. We’re getting too old. If this keeps going by, Ben and I can’t play these parts. Is there any chance you’d just let it go?’ And to Mel’s credit, he said, ‘I totally understand what you’re saying.’ That was a real stand-up thing to do.”
But the trio, Damon, Affleck, and Gibson could not come to a common ground as the duo went on to hire Gus Van Sant. According to Chris Moore, the co-producer of the movie Gibson had to be let go because he was taking a lot of time developing the parts. Damon was the one who initiated the conversation and Gibson was very professional on this matter, as he let it go without much problem.
The Duo Met Again on Air, The Courting of A Legend
Ben Affleck’s award-winning sports drama Air examines the legendary collaboration between Michael Jordan and Nike that revolutionized the sports and cultural scene with the launch of the Air Jordans. The film depicts a non-conformist team’s high-stakes bet, a mother’s unrelenting will to recognize her son’s unique skill, and the ascent of a basketball player who would ultimately be regarded as one of the best.
High-class performers such as Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, Ben Affleck as Phil Knight, Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Marlon Wayans as George Ravelling, Chris Messina as David Falk, and Chris Tucker as Howard White are all included in the cast of Air.
The movie grossed almost $90 million at the box office against a budget of $90 million. The 2023 biopic, unfortunately, couldn’t make back its budget but was rated as one of the best movies so far. Air has an IBDb rating of 7.5/10, 93% rotten tomatoes, and an A CinemaScore.
Source: Cheat Sheet
