Antonio Banderas meets Robert de Niro in Marbella while shooting a new film with sharks

Summers are for filming. That's what Antonio Banderas thinks and, since the opening of the Caixabank Soho Theatre, he usually reserves this season to return to sets and maintain his presence on the big screen.

The Malaga-born actor has just finished up in the kitchen of his namesake Anthony Bourdain in Tony: a biopic about the chef who demystified the world of gastronomy in the USA which he filmed in Massachusetts.

Banderas is now working on Above and Below, a thriller about piracy, survival and sharks - filming in the Canary Islands. Between two films in his busy schedule, the actor, director and producer has had time to return to Malaga to meet up with his friend Robert de Niro for lunch in Marbella.

Visits by the star of Casino and The Godfather 2 are no longer a surprise. After passing through decades ago and sponsoring the 2022 edition of Madrid Fusión, De Niro has become a regular on the Costa del Sol since he became a member of the Puente Romano Beach Resort, which has become his headquarters.

He was spotted with Antonio Banderas last year, at the newly opened El Pimpi Marbella - where, in keeping with tradition, he signed a barrel. The Hollywood reunion has been repeated this summer, as revealed by a photo of the two stars.

As the Oscar-nominee for Pain and Glory said, this lunch was "one of the few holiday moments of a summer full of work", since Banderas is currently filming in the Canary Islands, where he has joined the cast of Above and Below.

The new thriller boasts an international crew: produced by Spanish director and producer Frank Ariza (V for Victor and Con los Años que Me Quedan) and directed by Jesse V. Johnson, a stuntman and action stunt specialist (Thor and The Amazing Spider-Man), turned director (Web of Treason and Above and Below).

There is no shortage of pirates and sharks in Banderas' new film, the Malaga actor shares credits with American actress and singer Laura Marano (Lady Bird) and Spanish Christina Ochoa (Animal Kingdom) and Mario Tardón (Animales Sin Collar), among others. This cast takes on the role of a group of friends who embark on an unforgettable holiday on a luxury yacht. However, the adventure of partying and diving turns into a nightmare when they are attacked by criminals on the high seas and ambushed by sharks.

Premiering on the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws, Above and Below feeds on the myth of the great ocean predator. This storyline allows producer and director Frank Ariza, head of the AF Films label, to make the international leap with Antonio Banderas and Laura Marano in the cast and distribution by Capstone Pictures (The Wolf of Wall Street and Two Very Dumb Dummies).

According to Variety magazine, the Malaga-born actor plays Burns, an expert at sea, "calculating and methodical" and "forged in violence". Without revealing the plot, from the description it sounds like Banderas takes on the villainous role. Along with the sharks, of course.

The crew have had to overcome the difficulty of filming in the sea - using a reinforced cage for shots with the sharks. According to Canarias 7, the aquatic scenes are being filmed in the surroundings of Playa de Puerto Rico, in the south of Gran Canaria.

Antonio Banderas has continued his busy schedule: from Massachusetts to film Tony, closer to home with Above and Below. The Malaga-born actor stepped into the shoes of Anthony Bourdain, who revolutionised cooking with the book Confessions of a Chef, an autobiography in which he not only stripped himself bare personally, but also uncovered the miseries of the kitchen. Programme Parts Unknown shot the chef into stardom, with guests including US President Barack Obama. Bourdain publicly confronted Donald Trump's policies before his unexpected death in 2018.

Directed by Canadian Matt Johnson (BlackBerry), Tony gave Antonio Banderas the opportunity to get behind the cooker, one of his passions. Gastronomy is also one of his most profitable businesses, with restaurant group Tercer Acto, which already has numerous restaurants in Malaga.

The crown jewel of his restaurant emporium, La Pérgola del Club Mediterráneo, is where the actor prepared for his role as Bourdain. He got into the kitchen and learnt how to cut and prepare fish to give credibility to the character. "I had great teachers, with a lot of talent and a great deal of patience," Banderas said about the chefs who helped and instructed him for the role.

Between film sets, as well as having lunch with his friend Robert de Niro, Antonio Banderas is planning his daughter's wedding. Stella del Carmen will be getting married to financier Alex Gruszynski next autumn. The venue is being kept under wraps, although it has come out that the couple have decided on Spain for the ceremony - sparking rumours of a wedding in Malaga or in a winery in the Ribera del Duero area. The menu could well be prepared by the father of the bride, who is by no means lacking in experience.