The famous chef and author is the subject of Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, an upcoming documentary that lives up to its title by chronicling Bourdain's life and career. Yesterday, nearly two years since the film's announcement, the first trailer for it was posted on YouTube.
Roadrunner was directed and produced by Morgan Neville, who won an Academy Award for his documentary 20 Feet from Stardom and recently directed Won't You Be My Neighbor?, a film about the life of Fred Rogers. Though Neville is clearly qualified for the job, Bourdain may be his most unique subject yet.
The iconoclastic journalist and chef first rose to prominence after the publication of his memoir Kitchen Confidential in 2000. The popularity of his book led to Bourdain becoming the host for a succession of world-travel shows focused on cooking. During this time, he gained an eccentric reputation in the industry by constantly challenging himself with stranger and zestier recipes: sheep testicles, raw seal eyeball, and live cobra, just to name a few. He also launched attacks on vegan culture, started a publishing line, and began practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. However, Bourdain died of an apparent suicide in 2018.
Roadrunner is the first film to examine Bourdain's legacy as a rock star of the culinary world. The documentary premieres in theaters on July 16th.
