Antonio Banderas meets Robert De Niro in Marbella while filming a movie with sharks

Summers are for filming. That's what Antonio Banderas believes, who, since the inauguration of the Teatro del Soho Caixabank, usually reserves these dates to return to the '...set' and maintain his presence on the big screen. The actor from Málaga has just stepped into the kitchen of his namesake Anthony Bourdain in 'Tony', a biopic about the chef who demystified the world of gastronomy in the US and that was filmed in Massachusetts, while he is now filming in the Canary Islands 'Above and Below', a piracy, survival, and sharks thriller. And between both movies of his busy and 'dangerous' schedule, the actor, director, and producer has had time to return to Málaga to reunite with his friend Robert de Niro, with whom he had lunch in Marbella.

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The visits of the protagonist of 'Casino' and 'The Godfather Part II' have ceased to be an exception. After visiting decades ago and sponsoring in 2022 the edition of Madrid Fusión, De Niro has become a regular on the Costa del Sol since he became a partner of the Puente Romano Beach Resort, which has become his headquarters. There, he met last year with Antonio Banderas, at the newly inaugurated El Pimpi Marbella of this luxury hotel establishment, where he followed tradition and left a barrel signed with a "thank you" in Spanish. The meeting of both Hollywood stars has been repeated this summer around a table, as revealed by the actor from Málaga with a photo of both.

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As stated in his message, the Oscar-nominated for 'Pain and Glory', this lunch was "one of the few moments of vacation from a summer loaded with work", as Banderas is currently filming in the Canary Islands, where he has joined the cast of 'Above & Below' (Above and Below), an international thriller produced by Spanish director and producer Frank Ariza ('V de Víctor' and 'With the Years That I Have Left'). The direction is handled by Jesse V. Johnson, a stuntman and action scene specialist ('Thor' and 'The Amazing Spider-Man'), turned director ('Betrayal Network'), who in this new project adds to his resume a film set in the high seas.

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Pirates and sharks are not lacking in this new movie by Antonio Banderas, which stars American actress and singer Laura Marano ('Lady Bird') and Spaniards Christina Ochoa ('Animal Kingdom') and Mario Tardón ('Animals without a Collar'), among others. A cast that stages a plot starring a group of friends who embark on an unforgettable vacation on a luxury yacht. However, the party and diving adventure turns into a nightmare when they are attacked by criminals at sea and besieged by sharks.

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Indeed, this summer marks the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Steven Spielberg's classic 'Jaws', 'Above & Below' feeds on the myth of the great ocean predator, a plot that allows producer and director Frank Ariza, responsible for the AF Films label, to make the international leap with the signing of Antonio Banderas and Laura Marano in the cast, and the distribution of this action film by Capstone Pictures ('The Wolf of Wall Street' and 'Dumb and Dumber'). According to 'Variety' magazine, the actor from Málaga plays Burns, a sea expert, "calculating and methodical" and "forged in violence". It's not clarified, but the description sounds like the villain of this show. Along with the sharks, of course.

The caged cabin for filming with the sharks is essential in this shoot that is developed with the difficulty of filming at sea. Specifically, according to Canarias 7, the aquatic scenes of this script by Tony Giordano are being developed around Puerto Rico beach, in the south of the island of Gran Canaria.

Banderas films this summer ‘Above & Below’, a Spanish action production with international vocation and cast

Antonio Banderas has linked the filming of this thriller with that of 'Tony', which he has been filming since June in Hyannis (Massachusetts). The actor from Málaga has stepped into the shoes of Anthony Bourdain, who revolutionized kitchens with the book 'Kitchen Confidential', an autobiography in which he not only bared himself personally but also exposed the miseries of the world of kitchens. Turned into a media star with the program about the world of gastronomy 'Parts Unknown', in which even the then-president of the US Barack Obama participated, the chef and communicator confronted the policies of Donald Trump, before his unexpected death in 2018.

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Directed by Canadian Matt Johnson ('BlackBerry'), 'Tony' has given Antonio Banderas the opportunity to get behind the stoves, one of his passions, in addition to one of his most profitable businesses, with the Tercer Acto restaurant group, which already has numerous restaurants in Málaga. Precisely, at the crown jewel of his hospitality empire, La Pérgola del Club Mediterráneo, the actor was preparing for the role of Bourdain, getting into the kitchen and learning to cut and prepare fish to give credibility to the character. "I had great teachers, very talented and with a lot of patience," Banderas confessed about the chefs at his establishment, who helped and instructed him for the role.

Between filming and filming, in addition to dining with his friend Robert de Niro, Antonio Banderas also has on his hands the wedding of his daughter, Stella del Carmen, with the young financier Alex Gruszynski, which will be next fall. The venue is kept discreet, although it has transpired that the couple has chosen Spain for the ceremony, which has sparked rumors between a big wedding in Málaga or at a winery in the Ribera del Duero area. The menu could well be made by the godfather of the link, who is not short of experience.