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.)
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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