An Anthony Bourdain biopic that doesn’t involve Eric Bogosian?! Say it ain’t so! Our hopes and dreams are dashed. We jest. A24’s Tony actually looks like a fascinating take on a biopic. It feels less biography and more fanfiction, and honestly, we’re not against it. How did Anthony Bourdain’s life actually change during the summer of 1975? We’ll never really know. But we’re interested to see where this tale takes us. You can watch the trailer for Tony below.
In Tony, Dominic Sessa (breakout from THE HOLDOVERS) stars as a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen. The trailer for Tony paints a heartwarming, nostalgic tale of the moment a life changes… But doesn’t lose that kind of bad-boy, electric energy that Anthony Bourdain is famous for.
The synopsis for Tony, shared along with its trailer, shares, “A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life.” Filmmaker Matt Johnson is at the helm of the film. Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodall, Emilia Jones, and Stavros Halkias also star alongside Dominic Sessa.
Happily, this movie is also blessed by Anthony Bourdain’s Estate, who share some insightful sentiments about the biopic:
Anthony Bourdain’s legacy is meaningful to millions of people. He was a man who valued authenticity above all else and would have been both moved and baffled by the world’s curiosity about his life.
We chose to support TONY because it is not a standard biopic and doesn’t attempt to summarize a life. Guided by the vision of director Matt Johnson, the film depicts one transformative summer in 1975 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It is an interpretation as that part of Tony’s life will always remain somewhat unknown.
We appreciate the portrayal of Tony’s complexity, his intellectual appetite and his conviction — qualities that eventually took him around the globe and endeared him to so many. We hope this film serves as a reminder that every journey has a start, and that audiences see the beginnings of the man who taught us how to be better explorers on our own paths.
Well, now we’re emotional. A24‘s Tony releases in August 2026.