A still from ‘Tony’
| Photo Credit: A24
A24 has unveiled the first trailer for Tony, offering a first look at Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain in the upcoming biographical drama directed by Matt Johnson.
Set in the mid-1970s, the film follows a 19-year-old Bourdain during a formative summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, long before he became a globally recognised chef, author and television personality. The trailer charts his entry into the chaotic environment of a restaurant kitchen after a personal setback derails his ambitions of becoming a writer.
The trailer introduces Antonio Banderas as the demanding head chef who pushes Bourdain into the unforgiving rhythm of professional cooking. Emilia Jones appears as an old acquaintance who questions whether Bourdain is fundamentally “a good guy or a bad guy,” while the footage steadily tracks his transformation from an aimless young man into someone discovering purpose through food.
Johnson, best known for BlackBerry, co-wrote the screenplay with Matthew Miller, Todd Bartels and Lou Howe. The cast also includes Leo Woodall, Dagmara Dominczyk, Rich Sommers and Stavros Halkias.
Bourdain’s estate has publicly supported the project, describing it as an interpretation of a lesser-known chapter of his life rather than a conventional cradle-to-grave biopic: “We chose to support Tony because it is not a standard biopic and doesn’t attempt to summarise 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.”
The message continued, “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.”
Bourdain became one of the world’s most influential food storytellers through books like Kitchen Confidential and travel series such as Parts Unknown, before his death in 2018 at the age of 61 shocked the culinary and entertainment worlds.
Tony is scheduled to release in theatres this August.
Published – May 06, 2026 11:56 am IST
