The Many Saints of ‘Newark’ | The Sopranos Prequel

[James.B]

David Chase is finally ready to return to the New Jersey turf of his iconic creation The Sopranos. New Line has purchased the screenplay The Many Saints of Newark, the working title for a feature prequel of The Sopranos that is set in the era of the Newark riots in the 60s. That was a time when the African-Americans and the Italians of Newark were at each other’s throats, and amongst the gangsters of each group, those conflicts became especially lethal.

Some of the beloved characters from the series will appear in the film. I couldn’t get any more information about the plot, but the time period indicates there will be room for Tony Soprano’s father, Giovanni “Johnny Boy,” the former captain of the Soprano crew (played in flashbacks by Joseph Siravo), and a younger version of his wife Livia (played indelibly in the show’s first season by Nancy Marchand), and Tony’s uncle Junior, played by Dominic Chianese.

Chase will serve as producer as well as co-writer, and he will be involved in selecting a director.

“David is a masterful storyteller and we, along with our colleagues at HBO, are thrilled that he has decided to revisit, and enlarge, the Soprano universe in a feature film,” Emmerich said.

http://deadline.com/2018/03/david-chase-the-sopranos-prequel-movie-the-many-saints-of-newark-new-line-1202319202/amp/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&__twitter_impression=true

 

[Drizzle]

As iconic a show that The Sopranos is and forever will be, this would have made more sense ten years ago when the show was still fresh on everyone's minds.

 

[vinsanity]

Well, it's gonna be about Tony's parents back in the 60's, I prefer that than seeing a post James Gandolfini timeline of the Sopranos.

David Chase is writing so I'm confident

 

[Doctor Jones]

This is great ****. This has been rumored for a while right?

 

[Chip Chipperson]

I need young Paulie Walnuts in my life

 

[BatLobster]

Wow. Well, I'm interested. The Sopranos is probably my favorite show of all time, so I feel like it's a bit risky- but by making it a prequel it allows it to be its own thing a bit more. At the same time, it sorta feels like this could be a way for him to make a movie about racial tension in the 60s and increase its marketability by setting it in the Sopranos' universe. Hoping for the best.

It still saddens me to this day that James Gandolfini is no longer with us.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I think the hook here is the racial tension idea and could really be its own thing which happens to have Sopranos characters in it but still be interesting in their own right.

 

[Marvolo]

I like a good gangster film so of course I'm interested in this.

 

[terry78]

I watched that entire ****ing series from start to finish so of course.

 

[StarLord]

I need young Paulie Walnuts in my life

This. Plus Corrado ''Junior'' Soprano.

 

[Drizzle]

Junior is a given, but I hope they have young Paulie and maybe even a young Silvio.

 

[terry78]

You know foreshadowing is gonna be all over.

 

[James.B]

Alan Taylor to Direct ‘Sopranos’ Prequel ‘The Many Saints of Newark’
https://www.thewrap.com/alan-taylor-sopranos-many-saints-of-newark/

Alan Taylor has closed a deal to direct “The Many Saints Of Newark” for New Line, a feature film script written by David Chase that will serve as a prequel to his iconic TV series, “The Sopranos,” TheWrap has exclusively learned.

Taylor won the 2007 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for “The Sopranos” sixth season episode “Kennedy and Heidi,” and directed episodes of “The Sopranos” in four of the show’s six seasons.

The film takes place in the 1960s, when riots swept through Newark, New Jersey and conflicts between African-American and Italian residents were at their worst. Several characters from the “Sopranos” are expected to appear in the film, though New Line would not disclose further plot details.
Lawrence Konner, who worked on “The Sopranos” with Chase, is listed as co-writer for the project. Chase will also produce the film and be involved in selecting the director. Chase Films’ Nicole Lambert will serve as executive producer. New Line is the production company.

“The Sopranos” is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV series ever made, winning 21 Emmys from 111 nominations during its eight-year run from 1999-2007. It was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series in every year it was eligible, becoming the first cable network show to win the award in 2004 and then winning again for its final season in 2007.

Taylor’s other credits include “Game of Thrones,” “Mad Men,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and most recently “Electric Dreams.” On the feature side he directed “Thor: The Dark World” and “Terminator Genisys.”

 

[Drizzle]

While Taylor was out of his element with blockbusters, TV is his wheelhouse. They picked the right guy for this.

 

[terry78]

Hmm, interesting.

 

[StarLord]

 

[Holiday]

I don't remember him in A Most Violent Year, but I do remember him in Face/Off. lol

I wonder if the retired cop Tony takes Christopher to see will be part of the story or if they go a different way.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Great casting. I'm glad this is actually happening.

I've been rewatching the show and goddamn if it isn't more incredible the second time. This really is the greatest show of all time.

 

[HKpowerup]

Can't wait for this too. I think they've gone back far enough in the story to make it both interesting and fresh.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I'm curious to see who they cast as Livia.

 

[Holiday]

Tony will be in his mid teens

Alessandro Nivola Talks 'Disobedience' And 'The Sopranos' Prequel 'The Many Saints Of Newark'

 

[Doctor Jones]

Didn't expect that. I figured he'd be a kid. Seems like Tony might play a bigger role than I thought. I'm curious to see a young Tony as a full character.

 

[Holiday]

I'm thinking they wanted Tony a little bit older, into his teens so they can have him getting into riskier situations a younger kid may not care about.

 

[HKpowerup]

Didn't expect that. I figured he'd be a kid. Seems like Tony might play a bigger role than I thought. I'm curious to see a young Tony as a full character.

Agreed. Makes me wonder if we'll see the likes of a younger Paulie or Silvio? Or other characters.

 

[Holiday]

Not movie news, but a great interview with David Chase on the Sopranos

Exclusive Excerpt: ‘The Sopranos Sessions’ Goes Inside Groundbreaking HBO Show

On James Gandolfini's audition;

David Chase:

He came in and he started to read and he was very good. All of a sudden, he stopped, and said, “I have to stop. I can’t . . . I can’t focus. Something’s up here. I’ll come back in Friday.” So I said, “All right,” and then Friday came along and he couldn’t come in. I swear this is what we were told: his mother had died. It turned out his mother had died years before!