- Tony, a biopic centred on Anthony Bourdain, is being developed by A24.
- Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) has been cast to portray the late celebrity chef, author, & travel documentarian opposite Antonio Banderas in an undisclosed role.
- Blackberry director Matt Johnson, on the other hand, has been tapped to helm the project with a screenplay written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe.
Itโd be a lie to say we had no reservations about such a project. Especially given how a certain documentary and a certain un-authorised biography left a bad taste in our mouths.
But hopefully, the Anthony Bourdain biopic being developed by acclaimed indie powerhouse A24 โ in collaboration with Star Thrower Entertainment (Wind River, The Post, King Richard) โ handles the troubled iconโs life story with a little more care.
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And the correct brand of excitement.
The film currently dubbed Tony is set to be helmed by Blackberry director Matt Johnson; whoโll be working from a screenplay penned by Lou Howe and Todd Bartels.
A24โs Trevor White and Star Throwerโs Tim White along with Matthew Miller, Emily Rose, and Johnson himself are all in talks to produce.
As for the all-important question of who will play Uncle Tony on the big screen, in the year since the initial reports about this production, The Holdovers breakout talent Dominic Sessa has been confirmed; the 22-year-old having recently wrapped on Jon M. Chuโs Now You See Me 3, as well as Tow and Oh. What. Fun.
While the scope of the story is still under wraps, sources indicate it takes place during the summer of 1976, when a young Anthony Bourdain has a โlife-changing summer in Provincetown.โ Antonio Banderasโ role is also unknown.
While it would ultimately lead to tragedy in 2018, Anthony Bourdain certainly lived with nothing held back โ in the greatest sense possible.
The veteran chef-turned-author and travel documentarian famously earned his โbig breakโ at the age of 44, with a revealing article about the hospitality industry, which heโd eventually parlay into global stardom.
โI wrote a short piece intending it for a free paper in New York called The New York Press,โ the man we revere in present day recounted while conversing with Fast Company.
โThey intended to publish it, I was told, but they kept bumping it week after week after week, and in a moment of hubris, I listened to my momโs completely unreasonable suggestion that I send it to The New Yorker.โ
โThe New Yorker calls and says, โWeโre running your story, weโre buying your story.โโ
โThey ran it, an editor at Bloomsbury whose name was Karen Rinaldi had read the article and commissioned me for the staggeringly high price of $50,000 to write a book. When that book came out, it was immediately a best-seller and it changed my life overnight. Overnight.โ
That book, of course, was Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly โ an expansion of the aforementioned New Yorker article โDonโt Eat Before Reading Thisโ โ and would serve as the mainstream introduction to the inimitable Bourdain brand.
He added: โI mean I was desperately in debt, hadnโt paid my rent in time ever, had owed Amex for ten years, without making a single payment, owed the IRS โ hadnโt even filed โ it was a very, very, very insecure place at age 44. Suddenly, people were offering me things, and offering me opportunities.โ
โI was old enough and Iโd f***ed up enough already that I just said, you know, โI realise this is a lucky break.โโ
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โSo I made very careful choices, and I said no a lot to what seemed like a lot of money. Whatโs good for you in the short run is not necessarily good for you in the long run.โ
A few years later, Bourdain would find himself hosting A Cookโs Tour, No Reservations (2005-2012), and The Layover (2011-2013) โ all precursors to CNNโs hit series Parts Unknown (2013-2018).
The late great Anthony Bourdain is widely credited for reviving culinary-centric gonzo journalism; and reconceptualising how the everyday punter approaches travel.
2025 marks seven years since the death of Anthony Bourdain. If you or anyone you know is anxious, depressed, considering self-harm or suicide, there are people who want to help.
Reach out here or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. And as always, donโt forget to check on your mates.
