A24’s Anthony Bourdain Movie Casts First Two Stars, Plot Details & Timeline Seemingly Revealed

A24’s Anthony Bourdain movie, titled Tony, has officially cast its first two stars, with plot details and a timeline seemingly revealed. In August 2024, it was reported that a biopic about the late celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian was in the works with The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa set to star, and Matt Johnson (Blackberry) directing a script written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe. Since Sessa is in his early 20s, it was assumed that the biopic would cover an earlier part of Bourdain’s life.

Now, Deadline confirms that Dominic Sessa is set to play Anthony Bourdain in Tony, and Antonio Banderas has also been cast. However, it is unknown who he will play. Though the logline remains under wraps, the film is reportedly set during the summer of 1976 as a young Anthony Bourdain undergoes a “life-changing summer” in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

What This Means For Tony

What Happened To Anthony Bourdain During The Summer Of 1976?

During the summer of 1976, Anthony Bourdain was 20 years old and working at local seafood restaurants in Provincetown, Massachusetts. This period, which he would later write about in his memoir Kitchen Confidential, was a formative time in Bourdain’s life that shaped his passion for food and travel, and his eventual career path, as he enrolled in culinary school a few years later. However, this was also the first summer that Bourdain tried heroin, representing a darker period of his life.

Though it’s unknown who Antonio Banderas will play, he could portray a fictionalized or composite character, likely an older worldly chef who introduces a young Anthony Bourdain to the underbelly of kitchen life. The summer of 1976 represents Bourdain’s first immersion into the intense world of restaurant kitchens, and all the chaos and camaraderie that comes with it. Having received an Academy Award nomination for 2020’s Pain and Glory, Banderas recently collaborated with A24, starring in the erotic thriller Babygirl alongside Nicole Kidman.

Our Take On Tony’s Timeline

Why It’s A Wise Choice

It’s a wise choice for the biopic to cover an earlier part of Anthony Bourdain’s life. His later culinary career has already been covered extensively in his memoir, Kitchen Confidential, and his world travels documented by his television shows, including A Cook’s Tour, No Reservations, The Layover, and Parts Unknown. In turn, Tony will explore a more unknown part of Bourdain’s life, when he was first introduced to the dark underbelly of kitchen life, and in doing so, could end up having much in common with FX’s critically acclaimed culinary drama The Bear.

Source: Deadline