There's No Happy Ending: Anthony Bourdain's Bio Pic Premieres at Tribeca

By Jen Maravegias | Film | June 3, 2021 |

By Jen Maravegias | Film | June 3, 2021 |

I was working for Unnamed Internationally Syndicated Talk Show Filmed in Chicago in 2001 when Anthony Bourdain was invited on as a guest to discuss his breakout book Kitchen Confidential. Everyone on staff got a free copy and as soon as I finished reading it I put mine in the mail to one of the cooks I knew from college. I instructed him to pass it along when he was done. Everyone needed to read that book. To say that I’ve been a fan for 20 years would be an understatement. I loved Tony as though I knew Tony.

Here are the basics about Bourdain: Before he tragically took his own life he published eight non-fiction books, six fiction (which I recommend if you haven’t read), and hosted four travel/food shows, all of which aimed to share his love of food, life, and the world in general.

But, what didn’t we know about Tony? Plenty. Morgan Neville, best known for a laundry list of celebrity documentaries including 2018’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor, is directing a new Focus Features film about Bourdain’s life titled Roadrunner.

The movie features intimate interviews with colleagues, friends, and family. As well as some personal video footage. All of which will break our hearts I’m sure. While I know I’ll eventually watch this, it won’t be in the theater. I’ll save my sloppy sniveling over Eric Ripert’s recollections of his friend for my own living room, thankyouverymuch.

Roadrunner will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2021, and is scheduled for theatrical release on July 16, 2021. It will also be available on CNN and HBO Max sometime later this year.