NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� While Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were writing their first screenplay together since their 1997 breakthrough, 鈥淕ood Will Hunting,鈥� they noticed that something in their winding and usually separate careers had been missing.
鈥淚 remember my wife said to me one day: 鈥業 haven鈥檛 heard you laugh like that in 15 years,鈥欌�� says Damon. 鈥淲e came out of that experience going: Why aren鈥檛 we doing this more often? And getting into your 50s you just go: If we don鈥檛 make it a priority, it鈥檚 just not going to happen.鈥�
Now, more than 25 years after they set out to make it in Hollywood 鈥� so entwined that 鈥� Affleck and Damon are once again a team. Affleck directs and Damon stars in the new film about Nike鈥檚 courting of Michael Jordan that opens in theaters Wednesday.
That film, Amazon Studios' first theatrical release in nearly four years, is only part of their new collaboration. It鈥檚 the first release from their new production company, Artists Equity. Affleck is the chief executive, Damon is head of content. Part of its mission is to give prominent crew and cast members a piece of profits.
To Affleck, 鈥淎ir鈥� 鈥� in which the then-upstart Nike pursues a sneaker deal with Jordan while his mother (played by Viola Davis) advocates for his worth 鈥� represents what they hope to do with their new company.
鈥淲e believe there are a lot of really meaningful artists on the crew who are underappreciated and undervalued and make a huge difference in the quality of the experience in a film,鈥� Affleck said in an interview alongside Damon. 鈥淲e want to sort of take the approach taken towards Michael Jordan, which is to recognize the artists and say: You鈥檙e the ones who deserve to be compensated for this. You鈥檙e generating the art, the beauty, the majesty.鈥�
And with 鈥淎颈谤,鈥� they may have already generated a hit. The film, which co-stars Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina and Julius Tennon, has drawn rave reviews since its premiere at SXSW. Amazon was so pleased with it that the streamer decided to give it a nationwide release in theaters.
All of which accounts for some of the reasons why Affleck 鈥� despite the and viral videos of him looking morose at the Grammys 鈥� is genuinely happy. There have certainly been ups and downs; . But Affleck now finds himself, as he says, 鈥渇amously unhappy鈥� despite feeling the opposite.
Those memes? Affleck blames them on out-of-context moments and the result of always having a dozen cameras pointed at him.
鈥淭he photograph in isolation looks like: Look at this unhappy fellow,鈥� Affleck says. 鈥淏ut actually, I鈥檓 pretty happy. I have a good life. I鈥檓 very lucky. Despite the memes. Maybe my resting face leaves something to be desired.鈥�
鈥淵ou have resting b---- face,鈥� chimes Damon, laughing.
But after a tumultuous run as Batman and another turbulent run in the tabloids, Affleck is back to making the kinds of movies that won him best picture a decade ago, with 鈥淎rgo.鈥�
The Los Angeles-based Artists Equity is a kind of bookend to the duo's fabled beginning. They launched it to help set the course for their next chapter (Damon is 52, Affleck 50) and make spending time together more of a requisite. It also allows Affleck to be regularly with his kids from his previous marriage to Jennifer Garner. Last year, he wed Jennifer Lopez.
One person they鈥檝e convinced in their new endeavor is Viola Davis. Though Jordan鈥檚 mother was originally a very small role, the NBA legend stressed her importance to the story when meeting with Affleck. Jordan said Davis was the only actor for the part.
Davis recognized what Affleck and Damon were trying to foster. She has her own progressive production company, Juvee Productions, that she runs with her husband, Tennon. (It was behind last year鈥檚 鈥淭he Woman King.") Davis calls working on 鈥淎ir鈥� one of the best experiences of her career.
鈥淲hat they鈥檙e doing is bringing filmmaking back to the artists, which is where it should be,鈥� says Davis. 鈥淭here are so many obstacles in your path as an artist and the biggest obstacle in your path is the business itself. It sometimes looms in front of you.鈥�
鈥淲hat they鈥檙e doing is what our fantasy is as actors, especially once we鈥檝e reached a certain level,鈥� adds Davis. 鈥淲e want autonomy and agency.鈥�
Upcoming films for Artists Equity include 鈥淭he Instigators,鈥� a heist film starring Damon and Casey Affleck, and 鈥淯nstoppable,鈥� with Lopez and Jharrel Jerome. Though Lopez鈥檚 range has been on display in recent films like 鈥淗ustlers,鈥� Hollywood has often seemed unsure of how to utilize her talent.
鈥淚 agree with that observation,鈥� says Affleck. 鈥淏y having a set of expectations thrust upon her, it was inherently limiting. You saw with 鈥楬ustlers鈥� she was really able to show what she can do.鈥�
In 鈥淯nstoppable,鈥� Affleck says, she plays a part not unlike Davis鈥� in 鈥淎颈谤,鈥� as the mother of a college wrestling champion born with one leg.
鈥淚 think she鈥檚 in her prime,鈥� says Affleck. 鈥淪he鈥檚 doing extraordinary work in large measure because she鈥檚 taking that step to take responsibility for what she鈥檚 doing rather than say, 鈥楾his is what I鈥檓 being offered.鈥欌��
The notion of personal branding is at the center of 鈥淎ir.鈥� Nike at the time was a distant third to Converse and Adidas, but its executives hit on a concept that would presage much of what鈥檚 since followed in marketing: The shoe wouldn鈥檛 just worn by Jordan but epitomize him. Now, Affleck notes, people take for granted that they鈥檙e brands.
鈥淚鈥檝e always found that idea confusing and kind of anathema. People are very complicated and contrary and nuanced, and brands are simple,鈥� says Affleck. 鈥淪o the idea that a person can be a brand is a hard thing for me to reconcile. I鈥檝e never been good at it or had interest in it. Obviously, Michael鈥檚 brand 鈥� excellence, greatness, majesty 鈥� if you鈥檙e going to have a brand, that鈥檚 one to have.鈥�
But the Damon-Affleck brand 鈥� if that is a thing 鈥� is doing alright. There have been plenty of hiccups along the way for both stars. But the notion of them as a creative duo and two of Hollywood鈥檚 fastest friends has endured. Who hasn't dreamed of making it in the movies with their best pal? There鈥檚 affection for them because they have affection for one another.
鈥淎ir鈥� did present one new twist in their persisting partnership, though: For the first time, Affleck was directing Damon. It recently dawned on Affleck that the whole tenor of the project was due partly to Damon鈥檚 support of him as the director.
鈥淚t was a very gracious and kind gesture that鈥檚 characteristic of how Matt鈥檚 treated me, and this friendship, his whole life,鈥� says Affleck. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like why you have good friends. When things like this happen, you almost don鈥檛 even notice that they鈥檝e made the right choice and been gracious. It鈥檚 a testament to why we are still friends. I know it鈥檚 not me.鈥�
Damon, not missing a beat, smiles. 鈥淚 only undermined you behind your back.鈥�
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
