An Anthony Bourdain Biopic Is Currently In The Works. Here's What We Know So Far

Anthony Bourdain's life has been documented in multiple TV shows and bestselling books, and it looks like Hollywood thinks anyone with as much raw material to work with as the famously opinionated chef is due a big-time biopic. Bourdain, who was the executive chef at New York's Brasserie Les Halles, burst into the mainstream first with a popular essay in The New Yorker and then with his hit follow-up memoir, "Kitchen Confidential." In it Bourdain detailed not just the underside of high-end restaurants, but his own early life of excessive partying and struggles with addiction. He went on to become one of the biggest names in American food, as famous for the respect and genuine interest he showed when navigating international cuisines and local street food as he was for his brash personality. It's hard not to see the potential movie in his story, and although the details are still vague, one is coming.

The project, aptly named "Tony," is set to star Dominic Sessa in the leading role (via Deadline). Sessa was the breakout star of 2023's critically acclaimed "The Holdovers" from director Alexander Payne. He played a troubled student at a New England boarding school opposite Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, both of whom were nominated for Oscars, with Randolph winning for Best Supporting Actress. While Sessa was not nominated, he did earn strong reviews for his debut performance.

There are few details about "Tony" so far. While Sessa's age would suggest a focus on Bourdain's early life in the food industry, it's unclear which aspects of the chef's life filmmakers intend to cover. The production company looking to make the movie is Star Thrower Entertainment, which was responsible for another big-time biopic, "King Richard," starring Will Smith in the role of coach and father of Venus and Serena Williams. Studio A24, behind recent hits like "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is reportedly in talks to acquire the project. Another name connected to the project is director Matt Johnson, who is listed as a producer and is in talks to direct. Johnson directed the well-received movie "Blackberry" about the tech company, so he has experience working with true stories.

While this would be the first feature-length movie about Bourdain's life, several other projects about him have been made previously. The most recent was 2021's documentary "Roadrunner." Overall, reviews varied and the film garnered controversy for using AI to simulate Bourdain's voice. "Kitchen Confidential" was also made into a mostly forgotten TV series of the same name, which is best remembered as an early starring role for Bradley Cooper who played Bourdain stand-in Jack Bourdain. Given the talent and names connected to the "Tony" project at this point, along with Bourdain's beloved status, this is likely to remain a much-hyped project as it moves forward.