Particle.news
Download on the App Store

A24’s 'Tony' First Look Reveals Focused Anthony Bourdain Biopic

The Bourdain Estate backed the project as an interpretive portrait of one formative summer, signaling a focus on authenticity rather than a full-life account.

Overview

  • A24 released a behind-the-scenes featurette on July 14 that frames Tony as a tight, character-driven drama about a single summer that shaped Anthony Bourdain.
  • The film adapts a chapter of Kitchen Confidential and centers on a 19-year-old Bourdain’s 1975 work in Provincetown kitchens, especially the Lobster Pot.
  • Dominic Sessa stars as the young Tony with Antonio Banderas playing a mentor figure, and Matt Johnson directed from a script he co-wrote with Todd Bartels, Lou Howe, and Matthew Miller.
  • A24 confirmed a limited theatrical opening in New York and Los Angeles on August 7 followed by a nationwide release on August 21.
  • The Estate’s public endorsement and marketing emphasis on mentorship, period detail and on-location seafood shoots aim to shape expectations and build word-of-mouth for the A24 release.