Production Details

Antonio Banderas has officially joined the cast of the upcoming biopic titled Tony, which chronicles the life of the revered chef Anthony Bourdain. The film is currently in production under the A24 banner.

The narrative is set in 1976 and follows a young Bourdain, portrayed by Dominic Sessa, during a transformative period of his life in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Production is expected to commence in May.

About Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain was a prominent figure in the culinary world, gaining fame as a chef in Manhattan during the 1990s. He became widely acclaimed for his candid writings about the restaurant industry, particularly through his 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

His literary success paved the way for a fruitful career as a television host on programs like Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and Parts Unknown. Known for his straightforward approach to food and insightful critiques of societies, Bourdain’s impact extended beyond the kitchen. Tragically, he passed away in 2018 while filming in France, at the age of 61.

Role of Antonio Banderas

While the specific role of Antonio Banderas in Tony has yet to be disclosed, the film will be directed by Matt Johnson, recognized for his work on the recent biopic Blackberry.

Previous Film Projects about Bourdain

This will not be the first cinematic exploration of Anthony Bourdain’s life. In 2021, filmmaker Morgan Neville released the documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, which provided a deep look into his life, career, and perspectives. Although it was well-received by critics, the documentary faced backlash for utilizing artificial intelligence to recreate Bourdain’s voice in various clips.

“We fed more than ten hours of Tony’s voice into an AI model,” Neville explained in an interview with GQ. “The bigger the quantity, the better the result.”

Neville noted that this innovative choice was approved by Bourdain’s widow and his literary executor, stating, “I checked, you know, with his widow and his literary executor, just to make sure people were cool with that. And they were like, Tony would have been cool with that.” Despite receiving approval, the use of AI technology raised ethical questions among audiences.