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When Don Lemon parted ways with CNN in 2023, he left armed with a few qualities that were bound to serve him in good stead. He was one of the most recognized anchors in the country, and he knew what it took to stand apart from the rest of the TV news pack.

As he dipped his toes into independent, digital media, however, he realized he was just a rookie who had to develop new skills — and fast. Lemon rented studio space “in the heart of Manhattan,” but quickly found viewers wanted to see him in a more authentic venue, like in his living room with the fireplace lit. Early in his tenure, Lemon secured what in the traditional news business would be considered a big “get” — a one on one interview with tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, whose social-media platform, X, had just agreed to distribute a new Lemon program. After...

In addition to writing novels and memoirs and starring in several of his own TV shows, Anthony Bourdain wrote for some high-class TV dramas. In 2011, he penned two scripts for Season 2 of the HBO show "Treme" and returned the following year to write two more episodes for Season 3. His contributions came as a surprise to a lot of Bourdain fans, as he hadn't published much of his fiction writing in over ten years at that point.

Making Bourdain's time on "Treme" more impressive is that this was a show run by David Simon, creator of the widely beloved "The Wire," meaning Bourdain held his own in a writer's room run by the guy who created perhaps the best show of the entire medium of TV so far. Like "The Wire," "Treme" was criminally undervalued while it was airing, with ratings much lower than they should be for a show of its caliber.

Long before Vanessa Kirby was playing Sue Storm, arguably the main character in the new "Fantastic Four" film, she was starring in a low-key 2015 crime thriller called "Bone in the Throat." The movie was about an ambitious chef who starts a new job at his uncle's restaurant, only to find out that the London mob's decided to use the restaurant to commit murder. Don't you just hate when that happens?

Kirby doesn't play the main chef, but she does star as Sophie, the main character's love interest who is very concerned about that whole mob situation going on. It was a compelling role that Kirby handled well, but the movie was never a big hit. Most people today, even some of Vanessa Kirby's biggest fans, don't even know the movie exists. It's hard to tell if this was a case of bad marketing or if audiences genuinely didn't like the movie,...

Rolling Stone announced the appointment of Sean Woods and Shirley Halperin as its new co-editors in chief today. Woods, Rolling Stone’s longtime executive editor, steps into the role effective immediately and will continue to be based in New York. Halperin, a veteran music journalist and co-editor in chief of The Hollywood Reporter, will assume her new position on Sept. 1, serving as both co-editor in chief and head of music, and splitting her time between New York and Los Angeles. Together, Halperin and Woods will work closely with Rolling Stone...

Shirley Halperin is departing The Hollywood Reporter to become co-editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone — the first woman to fill that role in the brand’s 60-year legacy. Maer Roshan, THR’s co-editor, is staying on as the magazine’s sole editor-in-chief.

Halperin, a veteran music journalist and editor, will lead Rolling Stone’s music coverage alongside Sean Woods, the title’s longtime executive editor, who is being promoted to co-editor-in-chief. Halperin starts her new role on Sept. 1, serving as both co-editor-in-chief and head of music, and will split her time between New York and Los Angeles. Woods, who will step into his new role effective immediately, will remain based in the brand’s New York headquarters. The duo will work closely with Rolling Stone’s recently appointed CEO, Julian Holguin, to shape the brand’s editorial direction.

“Sean and Shirley are unmatched in their expertise and passion for storytelling, and their...

Was there another $1 million winner on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Ken Jennings and Matt Damon left off episode one at the $500,000 question on the game show. The pair’s episode continued on July 30, where they tried to win the $1 million. They only had two questions left to try and win it all. With three lifelines left, they struggled on the $500,000 question. “With another career path already established, who got his first taste of the entertainment world when he entered a Steve Martin look-alike contest?” the question read. The options were Dr. Oz, Jerry Springer, Bill Nye, or Anthony Bourdain. “I have straight-up never heard of this,” Ken Jennings said. “They’re all at least possible. The pair wound up going with their Ask the Host Lifeline. Jimmy Kimmel knew the answer, which was Bill Nye, “The Science Guy,” who won them $500,000. Ken Jennings is all too familiar with...

Whenever you work within an industry, you can’t help but scrutinize the depiction of it in the movies. That’s especially so when you’re so immersed in it that it is your life. Take the late Anthony Bourdain, for example. He – better than most, also being a film buff – had authority to blast a flick if it didn’t capture the essence of or overly romanticized a kitchen, restaurant or bar. But there were some true winners in his eyes: Ratatouille and Road House.

For Anthony Bourdain, Pixar’s 2007 film takes the cake for the movie that is surprisingly the most accurate of portraying a restaurant. “I thought — Ratatouille probably came as close to being perfect as any film ever in portraying the industry. Again, little things. The burn scars on the woman chef’s arm. It was pretty, pretty good.” Also joining the list of Bourdain-approved restaurant...

In this era of late capitalism, the human body has become a site for commodification. What sells at this point are simulacrums—a perfect, youthful body that does not age; foods and diets that are tailored to the molecules to maintain ‘health’; and beauty myths that are sustained by chemical interventions. This episode of Furia takes an incisive glance at the ideals presented by society and the market that it has created in process.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens in the Episode?

The third episode of Furia deals with themes around the human body. It is almost as if we have an ideal image of an ageless persona, and the crowd is being manipulated into buying into objects and services to homogenize itself with the persona. It is a need for a singularity, which does not allow multitudes to exist. The idea of perfection is exclusionary—thus it gives birth to rivalry,...

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After a polarizing 3rd season and a brief break, FX and Hulu's "The Bear" has finally returned for a fourth outing that feels almost like an apology to fans. As Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) makes amends for all the emotional damage he's caused himself and others on his quest for culinary greatness, the show itself has made up for its own forgivable missteps by delivering an emotional feast of a season that refines its experimental elements into a stunning final product comparable to a fine dining experience.

Suffice it to say, season 4 of "The Bear" does more than whet one's appetite for TV shows of this kind -- especially half-hour, episodic dramedies that manage to depict all the little complexities of life while keeping the dramatic ingredients fresh and surprising. In considering both series that follow those in...

My Mom Jayne, Mariska Hargitay’s documentary about her late mom Jayne Mansfield, which dropped on HBO on June 27, became the talk of the town in recent days as people caught up with it over the July 4 weekend. And Hargitay’s film directorial debut is likely to remain a topic of conversation over the coming months because, The Hollywood Reporter can report, it received an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run the week before it hit cable — quietly screening at the Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood from June 20-26, and thereby meeting the Academy’s documentary feature Oscar eligibility requirement of a one-week run in at least one of several major cities — and Hargitay and Co. are committed to giving it a real grassroots push this awards season.

The Academy’s 693-member documentary branch, which solely determines the best documentary feature Oscar shortlist and nominees, has, in recent years, demonstrated an aversion to...

Every streaming service offers a wide range of films from many genres to watch, but only Criterion Channel adds films to its library based on their cinematic or cultural significance. Founded in 1984, the Criterion Collection focuses on preserving and restoring films deemed important or worthy of further attention. In 2019, the company launched the Criterion Channel as a means to house its film library online.

Celebrated by cinephiles and academics alike, Criterion Channel has become the king of all streaming services in terms of the quality of content it features, especially when it comes to older films. Criterion defines itself as an arbiter of taste, creating a canon of noteworthy cinema.

However, with over 3,000 films available on the platform, it's challenging to know where to begin. Just because a film has been deemed important or in need of restoration doesn't necessarily mean it's good, as film taste is inherently subjective. Keep...

Dominic Sessa looks straight out of the 1970s to play Anthony Bourdain in his upcoming biopic.

The 22-year-old actor was previously announced to be portraying the late chef and TV host in his upcoming A24 biopic, Tony.

According to the description for the movie, it will be set in 1976 when a young Anthony‘s life is changed while living in Provincetown, Mass.

Keep reading to find out more…

Dominic was spotted on Thursday (June 19) aboard a ferry in Hyannis, Ma. For the role, he’s been fully transformed back into the 70s with statement sideburns and a vintage blue pin-striped suit.

In 2015, Anthony opened up to CNN about starting his career as a chef and his long battle with substance abuse in Massachusetts during the time period Dominic will be portraying in the movie.

Another A24 movie was recently re-cast with a new actress.

See the photos of Dominic on set inside…...

“I’m cutting back on the bread and sugar,” Phil Rosenthal says with a pained look.

The “Somebody Feed Phil” creator has just wrapped up the eighth season of his Netflix series, which will debut on June 18. The filming process was an epic jaunt through the best pastries, meats, and cheeses of Amsterdam, Tbilisi, Manila, Boston and other far-flung, food-obsessed destinations. Shortly after he returned from his journeys, Rosenthal made the mistake of getting his annual physical.

“If you saw my cholesterol levels right now, you’d go, ‘How is he alive?'” Rosenthal says. “There’s always a period of correction, but this time the fasting is doctor’s orders.”

It’s a Sunday morning in February, and we’re at Old John’s Diner on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Rosenthal’s made the trek to the Big Apple to attend “Saturday Night Live’s” 50th anniversary celebration.

Courtesy of Roadside Attractions.

by Chad Kennerk

When director Richard Gray set out to make his first Western, he didn’t just scout a location — he built one. Nestled north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana’s rugged Paradise Valley, Yellowstone Film Ranch is a Western backlot styled after a late-1800s gold rush town, set against the striking backdrop of Emigrant Peak. Like the Old West backlots of the studio era, such as Arizona’s Old Tucson and Colorado’s former Buckskin Joe, Yellowstone Film Ranch was built to bring authenticity to stories of the American West.

Gray emerged as a runner-up in Project Greenlight Australia — the Aussie instalment of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s popular documentary series — and built a steady career helming thrillers like Mine Games and Sugar Mountain. An episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, featuring the windswept charm of Livingston, Montana, eventually pointed him toward a new frontier.

We may have gotten to know him as a chef, but Anthony Bourdain became known and beloved as a kind of lover of life. Through shows like "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown," Bourdain met with all manner of interesting people, shared his frank and insightful observations, and yes, ate a lot of great food.

Bourdain struck me as a guy who wanted to know a little about a lot, and he wanted to curate the best version of every experience on the table -- and that includes film. Heck, he called "Ratatouille" the best food movie ever made, so you know he's got cinematic taste.

Before every celebrity made a stop at the Criterion Closet as part of their publicity tour, Bourdain contributed a top 10 list to the Criterion Collection in 2011, listing his 10 favorite films available from the boutique home media label. Bourdain's list, like all of our favorites, is revealing of what he likes,...

Based on Anthony Bourdain’s graphic novel, Adult Swim’s upcoming animated series “Get Jiro” welcomes the audience into a world where people will literally kill themselves to get into good restaurants.

“The only thing they actually enjoy anymore is eating, so chefs in the future have the most power. They’re like influencers, warlords and drug dealers – all the good things together,” said Peter Girardi, EVP at Warner Bros. Animation at an Annecy Festival presentation.

Beloved chef, author and host, Bourdain passed away in 2018. He wrote “Get Jiro!” with Joel Rose, with art by Langdon Foss. “Tony was a huge fan of Japanese film and television, manga, anime and all the big directors, like Ozu and most importantly, Kurosawa,” added Girardi, presenting the show at Annecy.

In the series, showrun by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, who executive produce with Jordan Blum, sushi chef Jiro will need to face...

Top Chef may have made Padma Lakshmi a household name, but even the seasoned host was once left a little nervous around one of the culinary world’s biggest legends – Anthony Bourdain. As the world remembers him on what would’ve been his 69th birthday, the former host opened up about how his larger-than-life presence left a lasting impression.

Her candid and heartfelt words showcased just how much respect – and a bit of awe – she had for the man who changed the way we see food and travel. Let’s dive deeper!

Why did Padma Lakshmi once feel intimidated by Anthony Bourdain?

Even after several years of hosting Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi once felt a little intimidated by Anthony Bourdain. That’s right – the late chef and TV star had a bold personality and a razor-sharp mind that could easily catch anyone off guard, even someone as seasoned as Lakshmi.

A24 is shutting down it’s documentary division, The Wrap has learned. Five staffers are being laid off amid the change.

The division run by Nicole Scott most recently produced “Look Into My Eyes,” “The Last of the Sea Women,” “The Sixth” and Steve Martin doc “Steve!” Also affected is head of production Emily Osborne, who joined A24 from RadicalMedia. Both Scott and Osborne will stay on with A24 while completing work on remaining projects.

The entertainment company will continue to manage non-fiction projects that are either completed or currently in production, such as “André Is an Idiot,” “Architecton,” wrestling doc “Death Match” from the Philippou Brothers (“Talk to Me”) and true crime series “The Yogurt Shop Murders.” A24 hasn’t ruled out working on future docs with filmmakers, but an insider said the market has become too challenging to support an entire division.

The move comes as the mini-studio...

Leo Woodall and Emilia Jones have joined the cast of 'Tony'.The 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' actor and the 'Coda' star have landed undisclosed roles in A24's upcoming biopic of late chef and writer Anthony Bourdain, who will be played by the previously-announced Dominic Sessa.The project is shrouded in secrecy but sources told Deadline that Todd Bartels and Lou Howe have set the film in the summer of 1976, when a young Anthony has a live-changing summer in Provincetown.Matt Johnson is directing the movie, which will also feature Antonio Banderas.Production on 'Tony' is set to begin later this month.Anthony tragically took his own life in 2018 at the age of 61.And earlier this year, his assistant Laurie Woolever shared details of their final conversation and text messages, which centres around an upcoming National Enquirer report about his girlfriend Asia Argento's...

Exclusive: Emilia Jones (Coda) and Leo Woodall (One Day) are set for roles in A24’s Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony, Deadline has learned.

Character details are under wraps. The duo joins an ensemble led by The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa, who plays the title role, which also includes Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas.

Written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, the film’s logline is under wraps though sources say the film takes place during the summer of 1976, when a young Anthony Bourdain has a life changing summer in Provincetown.

BlackBerry‘s Matt Johnson is directing, with A24 producing alongside Tim and Trevor White for Star Thrower, as well as Johnson and Matthew Miller through their Zapruder Films banner. Chris Stinson, Amy Greene, Lou Howe, Todd Bartels and Emily Rose will executive produce alongside Kimberly Witherspoon, who reps Bourdain’s estate. Production begins this month.

A BAFTA...

Exclusive: UK sales outfit Screenbound International has added two documentaries to its slate heading into Cannes, Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos and Stand Together As One.

US filmmaker Rex Miller’s Harley Flanagan: Wired For Chaos world premiered at Doc NYC last November, and follows the tumultuous life of hardcore punk icon Harley Flanagan and his life in New York from the 1970s onwards, including his darker experiences of drugs, violence and Ptsd.

It features interviews with Flea, Ice-t, Henry Rollins, the late Anthony Bourdain and Michael Imperioli. Miller produces with Laura Lee Flanagan and Elisabeth Haviland James.

Screenbound will...

O’Brien visits fans and famous friends, including Javier Bardem and Taika Waititi, in New Zealand, Spain, and Austria for Season 2 of his Emmy Award-winning travel series

On the road again, he can’t wait to get on the road again. No matter how hard we’re all trying (says a diehard Conan fan of over 20 years), Conan O’Brien can’t be stopped. The long-time TV and podcast host, repeating Oscars emcee, and recent Mark Twain Prize honoree is heading back abroad for the second season of his hit Max travel series “Conan O'Brien Must Go,” meeting up with fans, celebrity friends, and other locals and causing even more chaos. The first episode of Season 2 will premiere exclusively on the streamer on Thursday, May 8 with new episodes following weekly. Catch up with Conan with a subscription to Max!

How to watch ‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ Season 2 When: Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 3:01 a.

Top Chef has been feeding us cravings, chaos, and kitchen showdowns for years, but honestly, nothing spices things up quite like a surprise from a celebrity guest judge. And no, I’m not referring to the food critics with ten forks in their coat pocket, I’m talking about the athletes, actors, random famous faces, and pop stars that show up to taste-test the fancy palettes of cuisine they probably can’t even pronounce.

Of course, some of them are food nerds who know their beurre blanc from their bearnaise, but others? Let’s just say they vibe, hoping there’s dessert (sounds like me). Then a few of them are way too serious, like they’re judging the Olympics too. And the remaining ones are just happy to be there and taste something that isn’t from craft services.

But one thing’s for sure, they all bring fun...

Top Chef has been a celebrated cooking show for almost two decades now, and has perfectly brought forth culinary challenges with Kristen Kish leading the way. But before Kish took over the hosting duties, it was Padma Lakshmi who brought a lot of popularity to Top Chef. While she brought a lot of energy and grace to the competition, behind the scenes, not every day was easy.

One of her most difficult moments came while filming shortly after the passing of her close friend and famous chef Anthony Bourdain. While his death shocked the nation, for Lakshmi, his loss made returning to the set deeply emotional.

What made Anthony Bourdain’s loss so personal for Padma Lakshmi?

Top Chef has been a staple of Bravo TV for years, thanks to its interesting challenges and hosts who have kept the show refreshing for almost two decades. While currently the show is being hosted by Kristen Kish,...

The Anthony Bourdain A24 biopic “Tony” is looking to be as authentic as possible — and have real chefs star alongside “The Holdovers” breakout Dominic Sessa, who is portraying late icon Bourdain. Atomic Honey Casting posted an open casting call seeking “real restaurant kitchen staff with unique, dynamic personalities” to play roles in the film. IndieWire confirmed with A24 that the casting will take place for a shoot in Provincetown, Ma from May through July 2025.

While no prior acting experience is required for the aforementioned roles, prior kitchen experience is a must. The casting call is looking for males of all ethnicities.

Sessa stars as a young Bourdain in the origin story of the “Kitchen Confidential” author and “Parts Unknown” host. Antonio Banderas co-stars in an unspecified role. “Tony” will be directed by Matt Johnson (“Blackberry”) with Todd Bartels and Lou Howe writing the script. The film was announced in April 2025, with Bourdain’s estate producing.

This week’s episode of The Simpsons found Homer palling around with a reality TV chef named Thad, played by prolific voice actor John Dimaggio. And come to think of it, Dimaggio does have some experience when it comes to voicing cartoon celebrity chefs.

Thad, the goateed host of Dude vs Food, has spiky bleached blond hair, a wardrobe full of horrifically garish T-shirts and frequently wears his sunglasses on the back of his head. In other words, he’s not exactly the most subtle parody of Guy Fieri.

Although, Fieri never passed out on the set of his own show looking like the world’s tackiest bloated corpse — that we know of.

“Stew Lies” isn’t a very flattering portrayal of Fieri/Thad. While Homer is a huge fan, others aren’t so sure about his brand of “performative gluttony.” And without spoiling too much, the host doesn’t...

Agatha Christie is one of the most prolific crime authors to ever do it. She's practically the face of the murder-mystery novel, with her work being adapted many times across the mediums of radio, stage, television and film for decades (even if she wasn't a fan of most of them). There's something to be said about how her stories, many of which dabble in the darkness lurking within our internal shadows, still strike a chord with readers. The words speak for themselves, but a concerning new development from the BBC indicates that the ones from Christie's mouth will be spoken by a computer program.

Today, BBC Studios announced that it has collaborated with the Agatha Christie estate to launch a writing course on their education-based streaming service BBC Maestro. It sounds like a great idea until the revelation that it will use an AI likeness of the famed author to...

Celebrating the independent filmmaking spirit of NYC, the Lower East Side Film Festival returns this Thursday as the 15th edition runs through May 5. Featuring the Opening Night selection, the New York Premiere of Pete Ohs’ SXSW selection The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick, the lineup also includes Joel Vargas’ Sundance and New Directors/New Films selection Mad Bills to Pay, and Amy Landecker’s For Worse, starring Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Missi Pyle, Gaby Hoffmann, and Ken Marino. Ahead of this anniversary, we’re pleased to exclusively debut a new trailer celebrating 15 years of the festival.

John Fink said his SXSW review of The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick, “It might help to know the creative process going in. Tick was made collaboratively by its main cast: as Ohs explained during the SXSW premiere, they isolated on location at a country home where they...

One minute, Travis Leake was trying to decide which movie he and his fiancée should watch in his rented apartment on the outskirts of Moscow. The next, he was lying face down on the floor in a small pool of his own blood.

On that early June afternoon in 2023, Leake heard a pounding on the door of his unit in a three-story building on a tree-lined street. Ever since he’d moved from the United States to Russia six years earlier, Leake had toggled between teaching English to locals and...

The Holdovers star Dominic Sessa and Antonio Banderas have officially been cast in A24's upcoming Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony.

Per Variety, Sessa will portray the legendary chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain in Tony, a new A24 biopic from Canadian filmmaker Matt Johnson. Joining Sessa in the film is Banderas, who is fresh off the success of Babygirl and Paddington in Peru. Banderas' role in Tony is being kept under wraps. Per the official logline, Tony will "take place in 1976 when a young Bourdain has a life-changing experience working and living in Provincetown, Mass." Todd Bartels and Lou Howe penned the script for the film. The film is set to begin filming in May. There is no official release date for Tony.

Anthony Bourdain was a world-renowned chef and television personality who rose to prominence due in large part to his bestselling memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

Tony, the upcoming biopic about a young Anthony Bourdain, has officially cast its leading actor, along with a surprise addition. The movie was announced last year, with Blackberry's Matt Johnson set to direct. When the film was announced, Dominic Sessa jumped to the top of fan casting lists, with speculation fueled by reports that The Holdovers star was in talks for the role. Sometimes internet rumors can turn out to be true, as Sessa has officially signed on to play Anthony Bourdain in the movie, along with a very surprising A-list star.

Variety recently confirmed that Dominic Sessa will officially portray Anthony Bourdain in Tony. Sessa has been "in talks" with Johnson and A24 since June 2024 regarding the role, but the actor has finally dotted the i's and crossed the t's for the part. Tony has been in the works for well over a year, and fans of the...

A24 has officially announced its posthumous Anthony Bourdain biopic, titled Tony. The Holdovers‘ breakout star Dominic Sessa has been confirmed to star in the titular role, with Antonio Banderas also being cast in an undisclosed role.

Matt Johnson (BlackBerry) is set to direct from a screenplay co-written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, according to Variety. Tony will be set in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1976, approximately two years before a 20-year-old Bourdain graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

This marks the second time Bourdain’s life has been brought to the screen. In 2005, his exposé/memoir on the culinary industry, Kitchen Confidential, was adapted into a sitcom starring Bradley Cooper.

A posthumous documentary, Roadrunner, was released in 2021 and used AI technology to deepfake Bourdain’s voice as the narrator of the film.

A release date for Tony has yet to be revealed.

Anthony Bourdain Biopic Tony Officially Announced by...

Antonio Banderas has joined the cast of the Anthony Bourdain biopic “Tony,” as production kicks off next month with director Matt Johnson, A24, Star Thrower and Zapruder Films announced Wednesday.

The companies also confirmed that “The Holdovers” breakout Dominic Sessa will officially star in the title role as Bourdain.

The film is written by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe. The logline is underwraps but insiders say the film takes place during the summer of 1976, when a young Anthony Bourdain has a life changing summer in Provincetown.

Bourdain achieved global fame with his unflinching book “Kitchen Confidential,” which pulled back the curtain on the cutthroat world of culinary arts with acerbic wit. He then turned that fame into critical acclaim as a travel documentarian, first with the Travel Channel show “No Reservations” and then with his CNN series “Parts Unknown,” the latter of which won 12 Primetime Emmys.

Bourdain committed suicide in...

A24 and Canadian director Matt Johnson (“BlackBerry”) are working together on a feature film exploring the life of late professional chef, author, humanitarian, and travel show host Anthony Bourdain. Now, there is a bit of a casting update to share for “Tony.”

Variety not only confirms that Dominic Sessa (“The Holdovers”) is indeed set to play a young Bourdain in the biopic set in 1976, but they’ve also revealed Oscar-nominee Antonio Banderas (“Pain & Glory”) has been tapped for an undisclosed role.

Continue reading ‘Tony’: Antonio Banderas Joins A24’s Anthony Bourdain Movie Starring Dominic Sessa at The Playlist.

The Holdovers breakout and Oscar nominee will head the cast of Tony, which will follow the food world legend in 1976

The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa has signed on to play Anthony Bourdain in a new biopic.

The casting had been initially rumoured last year, but the 22-year-old has now made it official, with the Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas also joining in a role that is being kept under wraps.

Dominic Sessa will be playing the late Anthony Bourdain.

The 22-year-old The Holdovers star will play the part of the iconic chef and travel documentarian alongside Antonio Banderas in a new biopic Tony directed by Matt Johnson for A24, per Variety.

The details of Antonio‘s role are not yet known Dominic was originally said to be in talks for the project last summer.

Keep reading to find out more…

The movie will “take place in 1976 when a young Bourdain has a life changing experience working and living in Provincetown, Mass.”

Filming is set to begin in May.

The script comes from Todd Bartels and Lou Howe.

Anthony Bourdain is known as one of the most influential chefs in the world. He tragically died by suicide at the age of 61 in 2018.

“The Holdovers” star Dominic Sessa will officially don the apron of kitchen legend Anthony Bourdain, alongside Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas in a new biopic from A24.

Banderas’ role is under wraps, and Sessa was reported as in talks for the project from director Matt Johnson (“Blackberry”) last summer. The film, titled “Tony,” will take place in 1976 when a young Bourdain has a life-changing experience working and living in Provincetown, Mass. Cameras are set to roll next month.

Bourdain enrolled in culinary school two years after the film is set. The former executive chef of New York’s Brasserie Les Halles made his name with the 2000 memoir “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.” The winner of a posthumous Emmy for his contributions to the unscripted space for series like “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown,” Bourdain died in 2018 in the French city of Strasbourg, at age 61.

Johnson directs a script from Todd Bartels and Lou Howe.

Antonio Banderas is set to co-star opposite Dominic Sessa in Tony, the Anthony Bourdain movie from A24, Star Thrower and Zapruder Films. Matt Johnson is directing from a script by Todd Bartels and Lou Howe.

The logline is under wraps, but sources say the film takes place during the summer of 1976, when a young Anthony Bourdain has a life-changing summer in Provincetown. It is unknown who Banderas will play.

A24 will produce with Tim and Trevor White under their Star Thrower banner, along with Johnson and Matthew Miller through their Zapruder Films. Chris Stinson, Amy Greene, Howe, Bartels and Emily Rose will executive produce. Kimberly Witherspoon, who represents Bourdain’s estate, will also executive produce.

Banderas and A24 have strong ties after the Oscar-nominated actor recently starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in Babygirl. He was also recently seen in Paddington in Peru.

A24 and Star Thrower have also...

Anthony Bourdain wasn’t one to sugarcoat his opinions, especially when it came to the food industry. That late chef and author had time and again mentioned that he wasn’t a huge fan of most cooking shows. He often criticized the idea that such shows turn soulful and expressive cooking into a high-stakes sport.

But in a past interview, he also made an exception and added why in this Top Chef stood out and earned his respect. Bourdain saw something different in the show, and despite his reservations, the show managed to captivate him. Not only this, but he actually made several appearances on Top Chef as well.

How did Top Chef impress Anthony Bourdain?

Anthony Bourdain was never shy about speaking his mind, especially when it came to food and the way it’s portrayed on television. For the most part, he wasn’t a huge fan of...

David Blaine greets me not with a trick but an apology.

I’m standing backstage with the famed magician and endurance-stunt artist at Wynn Las Vegas, the resort casino where he recently renewed a residency through 2026. Dressed in his trademark black, Blaine offers a warm hello and says he’s sorry the show no longer features its big opener — which involves him leaping from an 80-foot-high platform and landing on a pile of cardboard boxes on the stage.

The last time he attempted the stunt — on March 11, 2023 — he painfully landed on his shoulder. When he stood up, his arm was drooping from its socket. The audience thought his moans were all part of the act. Then they realized he was seriously injured.

Blaine’s brain has never been studied by science. But as his physical stunts — nothing illusory about them — have repeatedly demonstrated, his capacity for hurt appears to dwarf that of most humans.

A new documentary is set to dig into one of the wildest life’s in punk rock history, that of Cro-Mags bassist and vocalist, Harley Flanagan. A new trailer for the upcoming film, Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos, is out now with the film slated to arrive in theaters June 20.

The new trailer opens with a clip of Flanagan playing his bass while going for a run in the woods, saying, “I feel like I’ve been angry for almost 50 years. I’m only starting to now realize that this...

Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment announced a live-action movie based on Magic: The Gathering earlier this year, and now Deadline reports that Matt Johnson (BlackBerry) is being eyed to direct the project. It’s still early days, so Johnson doesn’t have a formal offer yet, but sources have told the outlet that he’s the first choice to direct.

The Magic: The Gathering movie is only the first step. A TV series and other content are set to follow. In a statement, Mary Parent, Legendary’s Chairman of Worldwide Production, said, “We pride ourselves on being thoughtful caretakers of singular, beloved IP, and no property better fits that description than Magic: The Gathering. Alongside the fantastic Hasbro team, we look forward to creating a multimedia universe that thrills longstanding fans and creates a broad wave of new ones.“

Zev Foreman, Hasbro Entertainment’s Head of Film, added, “This is an exciting and complementary partnership,...

Hasbro and Legendary Entertainment may have found the director who will usher in the live-action Magic: The Gatheringuniverse. Fresh off of his riotous SXSW movie, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, being acquired by Neon, Matt Johnson is being eyed to helm the first film in the new franchise, according to a new report from Deadline. A deal hasn't been finalized to bring him into the fold yet, nor is there a writer set to pen the script, but the studios appear to have a direction for the project at least. The hope is for the magical franchise, announced in February, to hit the screen first with a feature project before expanding with more film and television installments based on the card game.

For Johnson, the project will be a big step-up after finding critical successes with his aforementioned Back to the Future homage and the underrated 2023 biographical comedy-drama...

Exclusive: Following Neon’s acquisition of his SXSW title Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Matt Johnson is in pole position to direct the first film out of the live-action Magic: The Gathering universe being assembled by Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment, sources tell Deadline.

The studios declined to comment. We hear they’ve not yet made a formal offer to Johnson, as it’s very early days here, but he is the choice to direct. No word yet on the take on the material, nor who will be scripting. Legendary and Hasbro announced their intention to launch a Magic film and TV universe, kicking off with a feature project, in February.

Marking Hasbro’s first $1 billion brand, Magic: The Gathering is recognized as the world’s first trading card game, having connected with more than 50 million fans of all ages worldwide since 1993. In the game, players take on the role of planeswalkers,...

Exclusive: A one-night 10th anniversary Off Broadway benefit reading of Ruby Rae Spiegel’s Dry Land will star Maya Hawke, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Dominic Sessa, Eden Marryshow, and Alice Kremelberg, who is reprising her role from the original production.

Set for Monday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at The Newman Mills Theater in the Robert W. Wilson McC Theater Space, the reading will benefit the New York Abortion Access Fund and be presented by Colt Coeur, the Brooklyn theater company that produced the original staging, and Level Forward, an entertainment company that most recently was a producer of Broadway’s Romeo + Juliet starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler.

The play’s synopsis: Dry Land is a play about girls, abortion, bath salts, bathing suits, rashes, love, and what happens in one high school locker room after everybody’s left.

All net proceeds from the evening will benefit the New York Abortion Access Fund,...

Exclusive: Lightyear Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to feature documentary Harley Flanagan: Wired For Chaos charting the tumultuous life and survival of the titular hardcore punk artist and Cro-Mags band founder.

The work, which premiered at Doc NYC last November and also played at Slamdance, explores how Flanagan’s defied the odds of childhood neglect and sexual abuse as well as drugs, violence and Ptsd.

Lightyear Entertainment will release the film theatrically in North America beginning June 20, 2025, followed by release to VOD, all leading digital platforms and the home entertainment marketplace.

The announcement was made by Arnie Holland, President, Lightyear Entertainment and Producer Laura Lee Flanagan on behalf of the film.

“A true original, Harley Flanagan has lived a hundred lives, and they’re all on screen in this incredibly affecting and powerful documentary,” said Holland. “Whether you’re a music fan or not, Wired For Chaos gives audiences front...

Don’t expect a speedy renewal of David Blaine: Do Not Attempt – at least until the title star has a chance to fully recover.

“I can’t ever do this again. I’ll, like, die,” the title star joked at an event in New York to promote the six-part National Geographic series.

Blending magic with travel and cultural exploration, the series pairs Blaine with magicians from around the world. He learns to master feats ranging from the “Norwegian Death Dive” to kissing the head of a cobra. Production lasted for nearly three years.

Produced by Imagine Documentaries, the series bows Sunday on linear Nat Geo before a next-day streaming premiere on Disney+ and Hulu. Shot in Brazil, South Africa, Southeast Asia, the Arctic Circle, India and Japan, the series is not for the squeamish. (Check out the trailer Here.) The camera lingers on Blaine as he inserts a six-inch...

The Chattanooga Film Festival has announced the first wave of programming for its 12th annual event, which will take place June 20-28 both in-person in Tennessee and virtually.

The announcements adhere to the festival’s philosophy that true cinephiles love films of all shapes, sizes, and genres, with everything from a pair of crowd-pleasing music docs to heavy doses of carefully curated horror cinema, off-kilter comedy, wild-ass action, and science fiction that has helped put the festival on the map.

Special Events

Lvcrft Presents — Best Of Times: The Music Of Killer Party

Exploring the link between music and film has long been a tradition for Cff, and this year’s Sonic Cinema program sees the festival once again partnering with petrifying pals Lvcrft to take a deep dive into the wild and wonderful history of one of the most mysterious and underrated original soundtracks in the history of horror, 1986’s Killer Party.

Wilfred Frost is getting ready to put much of his family business on public display.

Frost, who may best be known for his anchor turns on both CNBC in the U.S., and Sky News, is also CEO of Paradine Productions, the production vehicle founded in 1961 by his father, the renowned journalist and interviewer Sir David Frost. Starting Sunday, April 27, MSNBC will air “David Frost Vs,” a six-part documentary series that examines seismic changes in culture using decades’ of the senior Frost’s legendary interviews with everyone from The Beatles to Muhammad Ali.

“These are moments in history where he had a front-row seat,” says Wilfred Frost, during a recent interview. “This is not an archive show.”

The series will examine themes such as civil rights, college protests and cultural revolution, using Frost’s archive of more than 10,000 interviews with figures who were celebrated or controversial, and sometimes both. Some...

Whether we like it or not, AI is an increasingly pervasive part of modern life. Whereas only a few years ago discussions of AI seemed to refer to some distant future in which a Skynet-like super-intelligence would become self-aware, we suddenly find ourselves surrounded by chatbots, AI video and image generators, and a wholesale embrace of the technology by media companies. As a result, writers and actors were forced to strike over Hollywood's initial refusal to regulate the technology, and thankfully both strikes ended with protections against AI being well-established. But somehow it still feels like we're very much creeping towards a garbage future populated by AI-created films filled with virtual actors based on the stolen likenesses of established stars.

Another result of this rapid rise of AI is that Hollywood voice actors are now trapped between peril and possibility. Voice recreation technology is good enough that we have a...