Eight years after his death, chef, author, and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain is getting the biopic treatment, courtesy of star Dominic Secca (The Holdovers), director Matt Johnson (BlackBerry, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie), and A24.
Based on the credits alone, the project had apparent potential, and now, the official trailer is offering a new look at Tony.
The Trailer
The Cast
After a breakout role in The Holdovers, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, Secca has strung together a series of plum roles, including the holiday streamer Oh. What. Fun. and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.
In Tony, he’s joined by Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas, Task‘s Emilia Jones, Leo Woodall (The White Lotus Season 2), and Stavros Halkias (Bugonia).
The Plot
Tony appears to be avoiding a major biopic pitfall in keeping the scope limited to a contained period of Bourdain’s life. As the trailer sets up, the film follows a young Bourdain as he struggles to become a writer and finds professional cooking during a summer in Provincetown.
The Creative Team
Directing a script originally written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, Matt Johnson returns to the true-story territory that fit him so well with BlackBerry. That film’s refreshing comedic approach to the tech start-up story bodes well for Johnson’s spin on the biopic, a notorious formulaic genre.
The Release Date
Tony will open in theaters in August.
The Awards Chances
A late-summer release for Tony could carry it into the fall movie conversation and potentially award season if word of mouth is good enough. The talent on hand is certainly high-caliber, and Johnson has proven that he can handle typically prestige material with an inventive touch.
