Dust off those theories about the end of The Sopranos because the first trailer for prequel film, titled The Many Saints of Newark, has arrived.
Scheduled to premiere October 1 on streaming service HBO Max and in theaters, The Many Saints of Newark explores the early years of fictional mob boss Tony Soprano, whose reign over the various organized crime factions in and around Newark, New Jersey, was chronicled in HBO’s Emmy-winning series The Sopranos. The film casts Michael Gandolfini, the son of original Sopranos star James Gandolfini, as the young Tony Soprano.
Fans of the original series will certainly note the many references to The Sopranos that pepper the trailer for The Many Saints of Newark. Along with quoting a few lines from the elder Tony Soprano, the trailer also uses the original, iconic Sopranos theme song as it ends. The end of the trailer also adds “A Sopranos Story” as the film’s subtitle.
HBO’s official synopsis for the film reads as follows: “Follow young Anthony ‘Tony’ Soprano as he grows up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark’s history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s hold over the increasingly race-torn city.”
Along with the younger Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, The Many Saints of Newark also includes several other characters from the series portrayed by new actors, including Jon Bernthal as Tony’s father, Giovanni Francis “Johnny Boy” Soprano (played by Joseph Siravo in the series); Vera Farmiga as Livia Soprano, Tony’s mother (played by Nancy Marchand in the series); Corey Stoll as Corrado “Junior” Soprano (originally played by Dominic Chianese); Billy Magnussen as Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri; and John Magaro as Silvio Dante.
The cast is filled out by Alessandro Nivola as Newark crime boss Dickie Moltisanti, as well as Leslie Odom Jr., Joey Diaz, and veteran mob movie actor Ray Liotta.
David Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, returns as producer and co-writer on The Many Saints of Newark, along with series writer Lawrence Konner. The film is directed by Alan Taylor, who helmed multiple episodes of the series.
