14 years after the controversial, much-talked-about finale of The Sopranos, we’ve finally received a first look at the feature-length prequel that explores the formative years of mob boss Tony Soprano.
The first trailer for the film, titled The Many Saints of Newark, shows a young Tony Soprano as portrayed by Michael Gandolfini (son of the late James Gandolfini, who played the mob boss in the OG series). It also offers a glimpse of Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti, the uncle Soprano idolises, and Vera Farmiga, as his mother.
Goodfellas’ Ray Liotta, Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Leslie Odom Jr., and more also star in the forthcoming film, which is directed by David Chase, the filmmaker behind the original (and now-classic) TV series.
The Many Saints of Newark will tell the story of Tony Soprano’s initiation into a life of crime, and subsequent rise to the top, against the backdrop of the 1967 race riots that marked one of the most tumultuous eras of the New Jersey city’s history.
“Caught up in the changing times is the uncle (Tony) idolises, Dickie Moltisanti, who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities,” reads a synopsis, “and whose influence over his nephew will help make the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know: Tony Soprano.”
Back in December last year, the cast of The Sopranos reunited for a charity livestream. 2021 has seen yet more good news for fans of the show, with the premiere of a three-hour documentary, Sopranos Sessions, that unravels its sprawling plot with the help of its cast, critics, and Chase himself.
A clip of a pre-fame, 15-year-old Lady Gaga making a very brief (and very unexpected) cameo appearance in season three of the crime series has also been doing the rounds (revisit that here).
The Many Saints of Newark is set to be released in cinemas and on HBO Max in the US, on October 1. A UK cinema release is scheduled to follow on October 22. Watch the new trailer below.