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It’s a testament to Anthony Bourdain’s legacy that his fans continue to want more of his singular style of food and travel commentary after his death in early June. Recently announcing it would air the final seven episodes of Parts Unknown this fall, CNN also tells Vanity Fair it is in the preliminary stages of developing a full-length Bourdain biopic to be released in theaters as early as next year.


The documentary will be a partnership between CNN and Zero Point Zero, the production company that worked on Bourdain’s TV series. The film is expected to debut first at film festivals, then in theaters, and then eventually on CNN. Because the film is still in pre-production, those are just about the only details known at this time.

CNN calls the film “the definitive Bourdain feature documentary,” and Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president for talent and content, tells Vanity Fair the project is as much about satiating fans’ interest in Bourdain as it is a posthumous gift to the man himself.


“We just want to make it perfect,” Entelis told Vanity Fair. “We want to make it exquisite for Tony. We want to do him justice.”