Anthony Bourdain, who grew up in Leonia and died in June, is the subject of a forthcoming film from CNN. (Larry French | Getty Images) As fans mourned Anthony Bourdain in June, CNN aired past episodes of his acclaimed food travel series, "Parts Unknown," and proceeded to air the last three episodes in the 11th season of the show. But there is still more of Bourdain to come. First, the 12th season of "Parts Unknown" is set to air this fall. The episodes were not finished when Bourdain died, but the Los Angeles Times reports producers are using audio of Bourdain from the set to complete the work. Now, CNN also says it is producing a documentary film about the continent-hopping chef who grew up in Leonia. Vanity Fair reports the film will be screened at festivals and be released in theaters before airing on CNN. The report says the film, which could be out by 2019, is currently in pre-production, and that the project is a collaboration with Zero Point Zero, the production company responsible for "Parts Unknown." "As well as we knew Tony, because he did reveal himself in the series, there was still a hunger to know more about him, and to honor his work and celebrate him," Amy Entelis, CNN's executive vice president for talent and content, told Vanity Fair. "The documentary format became one of the more obvious ways to go." Among the other films that CNN has produced is "RBG," the documentary about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which has been in theaters and will air on the network on Sept. 3.
Bourdain, who when 61 when he died by suicide in France on June 8, was born in New York but attended Englewood's Dwight-Englewood High School and spent his summers at the Jersey Shore. The writer, chef and ultimate foodie dedicated a 2015 episode of "Parts Unknown" to New Jersey and did the same 10 years prior with his Travel Channel series, "No Reservations." |