The Sopranos prequel The release of The Many Saints of Newark has been postponed from March to September
- The premiere was postponed from March 12 until September 24, 2021
- The film should premiere simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max
- The postponement is so that the film is better defined for the award season with a debut on the festival circuit this fall
The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints Of Newark, has been postponed from March 12 to a new premiere date, September 24.
The prequel, which was written by the show’s creators David Chase and Lawrence Konner, is being released by Warner Bros. and produced by New Line Cinemas.
The film is set to premiere simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max amid changes in the theater industry with massive closings and uncertainties amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Delay: The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark, with Michael Gandolfini (L) and written by creator David Chase, has been postponed from March to September 24
The film’s main photography began in April 2019, and the film was completed before the March 2020 shutdown amid the spread of the virus.
Some scenes from the film were remade last September, and sources told Variety that the postponement is so that the film is better defined for the award season with a debut on the festival circuit this fall.
The cast includes Ray Liotta, Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Cory Stoll and Billy Magnussen; Michael Gandolfini, son of the late TV show star James Gandolfini, who died in 2013 at the age of 51, will play the youngest incarnation of his father’s character, Tony Soprano.
The film, which will also explore the tension that existed between African-Americans and Italians living in the titular New Jersey community amid the disturbances of the 1967 Newark riots, which left 26 dead and hundreds injured.
Michael Gandolfini, son of the late TV show star James Gandolfini, will play the youngest incarnation of his father’s character, Tony Soprano
Flashback: In the film, Alessandro Nivola plays Dickie Moltisanti, the father of the character Christopher Moltisanti of Sopranos (played by Michael Imperioli)
The Sopranos series featured several flashbacks of the 1960s during its execution, featuring Joseph Siravo as Tony Soprano’s father, Johnny Boy, Laila Robins as a younger incarnation of Tony’s mother, Livia Soprano, and Rocco Sisto as the young Soprano Junior.
The film will also put the spotlight on Dickie Moltisanti (Nivola), the father of the show Christopher Moltisanti (played by Michael Imperioli) and Tony’s mentor.
The series – which ended famously in a time of distress – debuted in January 1999 and lasted until May 2007. The show and its stars garnered Emmy awards during its exhibition and is considered an incendiary brand in the TV genre.
Amid the delay, Sopranos fans can still be satisfied with the Talking Sopranos podcast, presented by former students Imperioli and Steve Schirripa.