Anthony Bourdain can hardly catch a break in Tony trailer

Dominic Sessa stars in Matt Johnson's biopic about the wry chef and writer.

By Drew Gillis  |  May 5, 2026 | 9:52am
Image courtesy of A24
Film News Tony
Anthony Bourdain can hardly catch a break in Tony trailer

If you need to cast a young man with a chip on his shoulder in a project taking place in 1970s Massachusetts, Dominic Sessa is your guy. After breaking out in 2023 with his role in The Holdovers, Sessa returns to the Bay State with the leading role in Tony, the new biopic about the early kitchen days of Anthony Bourdain. Eventually, Bourdain will write books and host a TV show, but the young Tony only fancies himself a writer. In the mean time, what he actually needs is a job. (Sure sounds like a writer!) The film follows 19-year-old Tony working in Provincetown and the beginning of his love-hate affair with restaurants. 

A statement shared by Bourdain’s estate reads: 

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.

In addition to Sessa, Tony stars Emilia Jones, Dagmara Dominczyk, Rich Sommers, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas. The film comes from director Matt Johnson, who recently helmed Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie, and is scheduled to open this August with an official release date to come. 

 
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