Tony, a Film About Anthony Bourdain’s Younger Years, Has Released Its First Trailer

Update Wednesday May 6, 2026: Almost two years after Dominic Sessa was cast as Anthony Bourdain in the biopic Tony, distributor A24 has released a trailer.

The story focuses on the time Bourdain spent in Provincetown – a holiday town in Massachusetts – in the 1970s. It was the period of his life when he first spent time working in kitchens: first as a dishwasher, then later as a chef. Bourdain wrote about the formative experience in his lauded memoir, Kitchen Confidential.

Sessa stars alongside Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall and Antonio Banderas. The film was directed by Matt Johnson.

Watch the trailer below.

August 15, 2024: The late chef, author and broadcaster Anthony Bourdain’s life is to be adapted into a biopic titled Tony. It has been reported that Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers, Now You See Me 3, Tow) will play the lead role. (Sessa appeared to confirm the reports by reposting an article from The Hollywood Reporter about his casting.

Bourdain cut his teeth in the cutthroat world of Manhattan restaurants in the ’80s and ’90s. His cooking was great, but his writing was a cut above and his hard-boiled takes led to a successful career as a journalist and broadcaster and shows such as Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and No Reservations. He died by suicide in 2018.

The script for Tony comes from writers Lou Howe and Todd Bartels. Production company Star Thrower Entertainment (The Post, King Richard) is already on deck to produce, with Deadline reporting that A24 are poised to join the production.

There’s no mention yet about what part of Bourdain’s life the film will cover but, at just 21, Sessa’s casting points towards a focus on Bourdain’s younger years. His lauded performance in The Holdovers has already proved he’s a natural at the jaded but captivating insouciance that endeared Bourdain to his viewers.

Tony isn’t the first film about Bourdain to be released since his death. A documentary, Roadrunner: A Film About the Life of Anthony Bourdain, was released in 2021. It was well-received but faced some backlash for its use of AI to recreate Bourdain’s voice.

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