We have some new details on The Sopranos prequel movie, including confirmation that the project will indeed feature a young Tony Soprano. HBO struck gold with The Sopranos, which is largely credited with helping to usher in the golden age of television we find ourselves in today and, to this day, is considered one of the best shows ever made. Now, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are gearing up for a movie titled The Many Saints of Newark that will continue the story in prequel form, taking us back to the 1960s.
Series creator David Chase recently was interviewed in honor of The Sopranos celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. During the course of the conversation, he was asked about The Many Saints of Newark and, while many specific details are being kept under wraps, Chase did confirm that Tony Soprano will be an important part of the story. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“I was interested in Newark and life in Newark at that time. I used to go to down there every Saturday night for dinner with my grandparents. But the thing that interested me most was Tony’s boyhood. I was interested in exploring that… The movie will deal with the tensions between the blacks and whites at the time, and Tony Soprano will be part of this, but as a kid.”
David Chase had been hesitant in the past to revisit The Sopranos and, prior to James Gandolfini’s death in 2013, there was a possibility of a sequel to the series. That could have offered certain frustrated fans some satisfaction, given the series’ notorious fade-to-black ending. But it’s a prequel we’re getting and Tony Soprano will be a big part of it. The movie will explore the race riots that took place in Newark, New Jersey in the 1960s. Chase further explained what drew him to this version of the project and what we can expect.
“I was against [the movie] for a long time and I’m still very worried about it, but I became interested in Newark, where my parents came from, and where the riots took place. I was living in suburban New Jersey at the time that happened, and my girlfriend was working in downtown Newark. I was just interested in the whole Newark riot thing. I started thinking about those events and organized crime, and I just got interested in mixing those two elements… It is going to depict when it was good. The mafia was very polished at that time, how they dressed and what they did. Those traditions were followed more loosely in the series. These weren’t guys who wore tracksuits, back then.”
Alan Taylor, known for directing Terminator: Genisys and several episodes of The Sopranos, will helm The Many Saints of Newark, which is expected to go into production later this year. David Chase penned the screenplay. Casting is currently underway, but there is no word yet on who will be tapped to portray Tony Soprano. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. This news was first reported by Deadline.