Cameras are set to roll this May on Tony, a new biopic from A24 chronicling the early, lesser-known chapter of the late Anthony Bourdain’s life. The film stars Dominic Sessa — fresh off his acclaimed debut in The Holdovers — as a young Bourdain, long before he became a culinary rock star and television icon. Joining him is the ever-charismatic Antonio Banderas, whose role remains under wraps for now, adding an air of intrigue to the project.
Directed by Matt Johnson, known for 2023’s dynamic Blackberry, Tony may adopt a similarly raw, handheld style — a fitting match for Bourdain’s unfiltered persona. The screenplay is by Todd Bartel and Lou Howe, with filming set in Massachusetts.
While the full plot remains undisclosed, the film is said to focus on the summer of 1976, when a young Bourdain found himself working and living in the bohemian enclave of Provincetown. This period is often cited as a turning point in his life, where he first flirted with the chaotic, creative energy that would come to define him — both in the kitchen and beyond.
Bourdain rose to fame with his 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential, an honest, unfiltered take on life behind the kitchen doors, which led to the hit series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and turned him into a global storyteller. Whether he’d welcome a Hollywood retelling is uncertain — he often rejected artifice — his story may find the nuance it deserves.
