Even though the show’s run ended almost fourteen years ago, the influence of David Chase‘s “The Sopranos” still looms over contemporary TV. Without Chase’s show, there’s arguably no “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul,” “Ozark,” “Narcos,” or any number of other recent TV shows that still take inspiration from it. Long after the finale’s abrupt cut to black, “The Sopranos” is still running strong, albeit in its legacy as a titan of TV culture.
READ MORE: ‘The Many Saints Of Newark’: The Sopranos’ Prequel Film Is Now Delayed Until September
Fans of “The Sopranos” have relentlessly clamored for closure since the show’s infamous ending. While “The Many Saints Of Newark” likely won’t provide any answers about Tony’s ultimate fate, the new film from New Line Cinema and HBO Films offers a glimpse at his formative years. The prequel follows a teenaged Tony, Paulie, and Silvio around late ’60s Newark as race riots and rival gangsters loosen up the powerful grip the DiMeo crime family has over the city.
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Michael Gandolfini, the son of the late James Gandolfini, plays his father’s role as Tony Soprano. Billy Magnussen is Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri, and John Magaro is Silvio Dante. The rest of the cast list is just as exciting. Jon Bernthal, Leslie Odom Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Ray Liotta, Vera Farmiga, and Corey Stoll all have significant roles.
Film and TV director Alan Taylor, who directed a handful of episodes for “The Sopranos,” is behind the camera for “Saints.” Chase and Lawrence Konner, writer for “The Sopranos” and HBO‘s “Boardwalk Empire,” provide the screenplay. Chase and Konner, along with Nicole Lambert, also serve as the film’s leading producers.
Production got underway for “Saints” back in May 2019 in Brooklyn and then Newark. The film meticulously recreated Newark as it looked in the 1960s for historical accuracy. Further filming also took place in nearby Bloomfield and Paterson, New Jersey.
Initially slated for a September 2020 release date, “Saints” was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the delay, the film had brief reshoots last September and pushed its release date to this year.
The mysterious end to “The Sopranos” remains open, but a look at Tony Soprano’s boyhood beginnings will open up a brand new dimension to the TV show’s world. Fans can return to that world on September 24, when “The Many Saints Of Newark” opens in theaters and streams exclusively on HBO Max.