An Anthony Bourdain Documentary Is on the Way

Anthony Bourdain, who passed away last year, dedicated much of his life to sharing the stories of often-unsung culinary geniuses around the world. Now, CNN Films, HBO Max, and Focus Features are teaming up to share his.

According to a CNN press release, Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville will produce and direct the documentary. Though you might not know Neville by name, you’ve likely heard of his work. He won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for 2013’s 20 Feet From Stardom, and he most recently made headlines for the overwhelming success of his 2018 documentary about Fred Rogers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which is the highest-grossing biodoc of all time.

“It requires a filmmaker as expert and prolific as Morgan Neville to capture the essence of a raconteur and world explorer like Anthony Bourdain,” Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s head of original content, said in a press release.

“Anthony Bourdain did more to help us understand each other than just about anyone in the history of television. He connected with people not in spite of his flaws, but because of them,” Neville said in the same release. “To have the opportunity to tell his story is humbling.”

Several other key collaborators from Bourdain’s career have also signed on to take part in the production, including Lydia Tenaglia and Christopher Collins, who worked with Bourdain on his CNN series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and his agent and literary executor, Kimberly Witherspoon. Bourdain’s estate will contribute family photos, home movies, letters, music, and more.

Though we don’t yet know when the documentary will premiere, we do know that you’ll have a few different viewing options. First, Focus Features will debut it exclusively in theaters; then, CNN will air it on television; and finally, HBO Max will release it for streaming.