The first trailer for Tony has arrived, giving audiences a glimpse of Dominic Sessa as a young Anthony Bourdain in director Matt Johnson's upcoming film. Rather than attempting to cover the entirety of Bourdain's globe-trotting life, the movie zeroes in on a single, pivotal summer in 1975 when a 19-year-old Bourdain first stepped into a restaurant kitchen in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Directed by Matt Johnson, known for BlackBerry and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Tony stars Dominic Sessa, who broke out in The Holdovers and will also appear in Now You See Me: Now You Don't. The film's official synopsis reads: “A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life.”
The cast includes Emilia Jones (CODA) as Nancy, Tony's love interest; Rich Sommer (Mad Men) as Pierre Bourdain; Stavros Halkias (Tires) as Dimitri, a restaurant worker and friend; Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) as Sal; Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro) as Ciro, the restaurant owner who hires Tony; Michael Jibrin as Tyrone; Caroline Portu as Robin; Monica Raymund as Mary; and Dagmara Domińczyk as an unnamed role.
Bourdain's life has been extensively mythologized and mourned, making a traditional biopic feel too neat for a man who valued authenticity and messy storytelling. The Bourdain estate explained their support for this focused approach: “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.”
The estate added that they appreciate the portrayal of Bourdain's complexity, intellectual appetite, and conviction—qualities that eventually took him around the globe and endeared him to so many. They hope the 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.
For fans of unconventional biopics, Tony joins a tradition of films that zoom in on a formative moment rather than a whole life. If you're in the mood for more epic storytelling, check out Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' Trailer Arrives: A Colossal Greek Epic. And for those who appreciate a good underdog story, Pierce Brosnan Trains a Boxing Legend in Sylvester Stallone's 'Giant' Trailer might be right up your alley.
Tony opens in theaters this August.
