featuring @a24
Dominic Sessa, known for his roles in The Holdovers and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, is cast as Anthony Bourdain in an upcoming biopic titled Tony. A24 has unveiled the first poster for the film and announced that the trailer will premiere tomorrow. The poster offers an early glimpse of Sessa donning a chef’s apron, reminiscent of scenes from FX’s The Bear. He stars alongside Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas.
In addition to the poster reveal, A24 shared that the film’s debut trailer will be released online on May 5, 2026. A quote from the poster hints at Bourdain’s self-awareness: “I was – to be frank – a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking,” reflecting the chef’s candid personality. The movie is directed by Matt Johnson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Matthew Miller, Todd Bartels, and Lou Howe. Johnson is best known for creating Nirvana the Band the Show and directing the 2023 film BlackBerry, both projects exploring influential figures shaping pop culture and business.
Tony will depict a 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain working at a local restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in 1976—a crucial year in the chef’s life. The film draws inspiration from Bourdain’s best-selling memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.
Johnson described the source material’s significance: “Those two chapters of Kitchen Confidential read like ‘Genesis’ to me. Not much happens, but the margins are packed with detail. It allowed us to explore his origins, knowing only where he would end up 20 years later,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
Sessa noted Bourdain’s humility and curiosity: “He never wanted to feel like the smartest person in the room. He had an unwavering desire to learn from the world and the people around him. His principles were shaped by a sense of responsibility towards his colleagues in the kitchen—and by messing up… a lot.” Tony is scheduled to hit theaters sometime in August 2026.
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
- Socials: @frazer.live
- @neill.outloud
