Dominic Sessa to Star as Anthony Bourdain in Biopic ‘Tony’

As a cinema enthusiast who’s witnessed the rise and fall of many a silver screen legend, I find myself both intrigued and apprehensive about the upcoming biopic, “Tony.” Dominic Sessa, a breakout star from “The Holdovers,” has been tapped to portray Anthony Bourdain in this film. With A24 in talks with Matt Johnson, the director of “BlackBerry,” to helm the project, it’s shaping up to be quite an interesting ride.


Anthony Bourdain is getting the biopic treatment.

“Dominic Sessa, who made a name for himself on ‘The Holdovers’, is in negotiations to play a famous chef and documentary maker in ‘Tony’. This film is produced by Star Thrower Entertainment, known for productions like ‘The Post’, ‘King Richard’, and ‘Eternity’. It’s rumored that Matt Johnson, director of ‘BlackBerry’ and co-writer on the project, could be at the helm, with A24 in discussions with him.”

The screenplay for the movie was penned by Lou Howe and Todd Bartels. There are discussions ongoing about A24 taking on production duties, led by Trevor White and Tim White under their Star Thrower label, as well as Johnson and Matthew Miller. Emily Rose will serve as an executive producer.

Sessa, recognized by EbMaster as one of the 10 Actors to Keep an Eye on in 2023, will soon be seen in “Now You See Me 3” alongside fellow newcomers Ariana Greenblatt and Justice Smith. Upcoming ventures also include Michael Showalter’s Christmas comedy “Oh. What. Fun.” and the film “Tow,” starring Rose Byrne.

As a movie enthusiast penning down my thoughts on the upcoming biopic about Anthony Bourdain, I’m eagerly awaiting more details regarding which phase of his extraordinary life the film will focus on. Known for his captivating television shows “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown”, Tony tragically took his own life in 2018. The biopic isn’t the first project based on Bourdain’s story; the documentary “Roadrunner” premiered at Tribeca in 2021, garnering both critical acclaim and controversy when it was disclosed that filmmaker Morgan Neville employed artificial intelligence to generate three quotes attributed to Tony.

As a seasoned entertainment attorney with years of experience in the industry, I’ve come to appreciate the intricacies of talent representation. From my professional perspective, it seems that Sessa is represented by a trio consisting of CAA, Untitled, and Steve Warren at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. On the other hand, both Johnson and Miller are represented by CAA, but with a notable difference – while Johnson is also represented by Chris Spicer at Akin Gump, Miller appears to be solely associated with this firm. This distinction suggests that each talent may require a unique blend of legal and management services tailored to their specific needs and careers. Understanding these nuances can help in navigating the competitive landscape of talent representation more effectively.

Deadline was first to report the news.

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2024-08-13 03:17