The Sopranos, one of the most respected TV dramas ever made, is coming back. Sort of.
David Chase, creator of the original TV series, has sold a prequel movie screenplay to New Line Studios, effectively green-lighting the start of the project.
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Tentatively titled The Many Saints of Newark and set in 1960s New Jersey, the movie will take place during a racially tense time: two large groups, the African-American and Italian-American populations, were frequently at each other’s throats. The discord culminated in the fiery 1967 Newark riots. (It’s not clear if this volatile event will be featured in the film.)
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Specific Sopranos character appearances are also unconfirmed but based on the time frame, it’s possible that audiences will be able to see Tony Soprano’s parents — a young Livia and Johnny Soprano — along with Uncle Junior and even Tony as a toddler.
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The Sopranos ran from 1999 until 2007 on HBO. Its fade-to-black series finale is still talked about as one of the most controversial TV episodes ever. The script for the movie is co-written by former Sopranos scribe Lawrence Konner, along with Chase.
“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,” said Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich.
As of this writing, no castings or further development has been announced.
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