Trailer Drops for Anthony Bourdain Biopic 'Tony' Shows Young Bourdain Rejecting the Chef Label

The trailer for Matt Johnson’s *Tony* hit the internet this week, offering a raw, profanity‑spiked snapshot of Anthony Bourdain’s early adulthood. Dominic Sessa, known for his breakout role in *The Holdovers*, steps into the shoes of a 19‑year‑old Bourdain as he starts his first kitchen job on Cape Cod in the mid‑1970s. The film zeroes in on a single, transformative summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, rather than attempting a full‑life chronicle.

In the opening moments, a restless Bourdain looks directly at the camera and says, “I’m actually not a fucking cook, I’m a writer.” The line captures the tension between his emerging culinary career and his ambition to become a storyteller—a conflict that would later define his books and television shows. The trailer also introduces Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones, and Leo Woodall in supporting roles, hinting at a broader ensemble that will surround the young Bourdain.

Bourdain’s estate released a statement supporting the project, emphasizing that the film is “not a standard biopic” and that it respects the mystery surrounding that summer. The estate praised Johnson’s vision for highlighting Bourdain’s “complexity, intellectual appetite and conviction,” traits that later carried him around the globe. The filmmakers describe the movie as an interpretation, acknowledging that the exact details of that period remain partly unknown.

Director Matt Johnson, fresh from the critical success of *BlackBerry* and the cult‑favorite *Nirvanna the Band – the Show – the Movie*, chose Sessa because both actors share a Jersey upbringing, private‑school backgrounds, and a sense of not fitting in. Johnson said the collaboration felt like a partnership, with Sessa carrying “the entire story on his hunched shoulders.”

The trailer follows a line of previous Bourdain portrayals, including the 2021 documentary *Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain*. The late chef, author, and TV host died by suicide in 2018 at age 61, leaving a legacy of culinary exploration and cultural curiosity.

*Tony* is slated for a summer release, positioning it as a seasonal counterpoint to other food‑related releases. Audiences will watch to see whether the film can translate Bourdain’s restless curiosity into a compelling narrative about a single, formative summer.

What to watch next: Keep an eye on the film’s marketing rollout and early critic screenings to gauge whether the focused approach resonates with both fans and newcomers.