Trailer for A24’s Anthony Bourdain Biopic TONY Serves Up a Gritty Origin Story

A24 has released the first trailer for Tony, a biopic centered on the early life of legendary chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, and looks great.

The film takes a step back before the fame, before the books, and before the globe-trotting food adventures, zeroing in on a formative chapter that helped shape the man people came to admire.

Set in 1976, the story follows a young Bourdain during his time in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where a summer job turns into something much more defining.

This is the period just before he enrolled in culinary school, a decision that would eventually lead him to become one of the most recognizable voices in food and travel.

If you’re familiar with his brutally honest memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, you already know this era had a serious impact on him.

Taking on the role of Bourdain is Dominic Sessa, who broke out in a big way with his performance in The Holdovers. From the look of the trailer, Sessa isn’t just doing an impression, he’s tapping into that restless, searching energy that defined Bourdain in his early years. There’s an edge to it that feels raw and real.

He’s joined by Antonio Banderas, playing a Brazilian-born restaurateur who becomes a mentor figure to Tony. It looks like their dynamic will be a central piece of the story, with Banderas bringing a mix of charisma and hard-earned wisdom to the role.

The film is directed by Matt Johnson, working from a script by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe. Johnson has a knack for grounded storytelling, and that seems to carry through here, with the trailer leaning into a gritty, lived-in feel rather than something overly polished.

Bourdain’s legacy still carries weight years after his passing in 2018 at the age of 61. He wasn’t just a chef, he changed how people looked at food, culture, and travel through shows like No Reservations and Parts Unknown, earning multiple Emmy Awards along the way. Tony looks like it’s aiming to capture the messy, complicated beginnings of that journey.

A24 will release Tony in theaters this August, and if this first trailer is any indication, it might be one to keep a close eye on.