‘The Sopranos’ Prequel, ‘The Many Saints of Newark,’ Has Been Delayed

The Many Saints of Newark, prequel to the beloved HBO Series, The Sopranos, has been delayed from March 2021 to September 24, 2021, Variety has reported. The series ran from 1999 to 2007 and is vital in shaping the current landscape of modern television.

The film follows a young Tony Soprano, played by Michael Gandolfini, during the Newark riots that occurred in the summer of 1967.  There are plenty of characters, few actors, and a lot of behind the scenes hands returning for the project. Michael Gandolfini is the son of the late James Gandolfini, who originated the role of Tony Soprano and won a Golden Globe for his performance in 2000.

Alan Taylor is back in the director’s chair for this project. He previously directed Thor: The Dark World and Terminator: Genisys, but his best work comes with his many years as television director. Taylor has directed episodes of nearly every must-see series in the last decade including Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and, of course, The Sopranos. The script was penned by producer and writer David Chase and fellow scribe Lawrence Konner. They clearly returned because they had a story in mind.

The return to the world feels similar to the pseudo-prequel to Breaking Bad entitled El Camino that came out in 2019 to all around success. This return is a long time coming as the pandemic has pushed a return to the Soprano family back an entire year. The production wrapped shooting in mid-2019 and was set for an awards season in September of 2020, but due to the pandemic, the film has been pushed back an entire year.

Though with a vaccine and light at the end of the tunnel it is hopeful that the film will be released this year. It is clear that even though HBO Max and Warner Bros is releasing this film concurrently on streaming and in theaters, they still want it to be successful if theaters can reopen by the end of the year.

The Many Saints of Newark is set for a September 24, 2021 release date. In addition to Gandolfini the film stars Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll,  Billy Magnussen, Michela De Rossi, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga.