'Tony': Release Date, Plot & Everything We Know About the Upcoming Biopic Starring Dominic Sessa
This is one of A24's most highly anticipated upcoming films.
The recently released trailer for the biopic Tony attracted attention due to the involvement of A24 and director Matt Johnson, as well as the lead character, played by Dominic Sessa.
This biographical drama about the life of chef, writer, and life researcher Anthony Bourdain will not be as a museum tour, but rather as a sharp and poignant coming-of-age story.
When Will 'Tony' Be Released?
The exact premiere date for Tony hasn't been announced yet – A24 is keeping the details under wraps for now. However, since the trailer has already been released, it won't be much longer.
Tony is expected to be released in theaters in late 2026 or early 2027.
What Will 'Tony' Be About?
19-year-old Anthony Bourdain dreams of becoming a writer. After losing his scholarship, he ends up working for an experienced chef at a small restaurant in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
As a rebel by nature, his first encounter with the kitchen goes as expected – through a brutal school of broken dishes, cut fingers, and creative chaos.
Rather than telling the story of Bourdain's entire life, the film will focus on the event that transformed the gifted student into one of today's leading chefs.
Who Plays the Main Role in 'Tony'?
Dominic Sessa, that nervous, prickly, and lively teenager from Alexander Payne's The Holdovers, seems like the perfect choice – he masterfully captures the essence of youth and inner turmoil.
He embodies the essence of a person who hasn't yet figured out who they'll become, yet is clearly ready to fight everything the world throws at them.
Sessa will be joined by Antonio Banderas as his mentor, Emilia Jones as a high school friend and love interest of Bourdain's, Rich Sommer as his father, and Leo Woodall as one of the future chef's partners.
Who Is the Director of 'Tony'?
The director is Matt Johnson, a Canadian filmmaker known for his biopic BlackBerry. The movie told the story of the rise and fall of the company that produced the best business smartphone of the late 2000s.
Johnson has a knack for selecting the most cinematic scenes from archives and crafting a gripping narrative from even production schedules and financial reports.
His signature style is built on nervous energy, an almost documentary-like vitality, and an interest in people who dream of changing the world yet behave like agents of chaos – an approach he chose for Tony.
Who Is Anthony Bourdain, and What Is He Famous For?
Anthony Bourdain was a chef, writer, and television host. Beyond his accolades, he was a man who connected cooking with conversations about culture, politics, and loneliness.
He gained widespread recognition for his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, a memoir about the restaurant world in which the kitchen is not portrayed as a sterile temple but as a noisy, rude, living organism.
After becoming a television personality, Bourdain didn't start chopping vegetables with flair – his true talent lay elsewhere. He transformed travel shows into tableside conversations where the plate served as an entrée to a complex reality.
Bourdain's life ended abruptly in the summer of 2018 when his body was found in a hotel in northeastern France. He left behind books, dozens of TV shows, comics, and interviews with politicians.
