Amazon Takes Head-Scratching Path To Sept. 12 Blu-ray And DVD Launch Of Director Ben Affleck's Air

DVD and Blu-ray editions of director Ben Affleck’s Air will arrive on Sept. 12.

So that’s how it’s done.   Amazon buys MGM and sets out to demonstrate how movies are marketed and distributed.   A grand experiment, perhaps.  But with the venerable MGM brand name you do have something to work with.

 

The latest example of the confusing ways that Amazon works — call it mixed messages, or something — is actor, producer and director Ben Affleck’s biopic titled Air … the “Air Jordan” story of how Nike courted and eventually signed Michael Jordan to promote their product.

 

Some sources say the production budget was $70 million — with Affleck, Matt Damon and Jason Bateman attached you can see that.   Other sources say $90 million … let’s split the difference and call it an $80 million film.

 

Deadline broke the story back in April of 2022 that Ben Affleck would direct the as yet untitled story about Air Jordan and Nike … it would be an Amazon Studio release (not MGM), which meant an $80 million film was likely going direct to streaming.

 

Exactly how many new Amazon Prime households would that add?   Seems like a very expensive way to attract marginal subscribers when you are a fully established streaming source.

But what do we know!   In any case, somewhere along the line the plan changed (reports surfaced that the film tested well) and it was slotted into South by Southwest in March of this year as a surprise closer … a theatrical launch followed on Apr. 05.  The domestic box office came in at $52.4 million.

Since this is Amazon, right in the middle of the film’s theatrical run they elected to stream it beginning on May 12.   

 

So, what do you think happened when Amazon supplied helpers with a pristine master of the film?  The question answers itself.

Since May 12 there have been crickets.   Was Amazon going to spend $80 million making a film starring Affleck, Damon and Bateman and not release it to the home entertainment packaged media marketplace?   Just let “helpers” fill the void?

 

Perhaps someone came to their senses, who knows … does it matter?   Sept. 12 is the release date for both DVD and Blu-ray editions (legitimate ones), which means that the ARR is an impressive 158 days (industry norm right now for a film with this box office profile is right around 80 days).   There appear to be no bonus materials included.   Thank you, Amazon.