THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK
James Gandolfini's Son Is Young Tony Soprano
For The Soprano fans, this prequel feels a long time coming. That’s right, The Many Saints of Newark will make its debut on HBO Max on September 24. And you’ll never guess who they hired to play a young Tony Soprano (or maybe you will because it’s in our headline). The late James Gandolfini’s son Michael will continue the legacy as the greatest TV mafia boss of all time.
The Many Saints of Newark will likely catapult Michael into superstardom considering the fanbase of its predecessor. You may have spotted him as Joey Dwyer on The Deuce, which is also part of the HBO family. And you can also catch him in the upcoming Russo Brothers AppleTV+ film Cherry, which stars Tom Holland. Those roles will serve as great entry points for The Many Saints of Newark. But if you thought this was going to be a walk in the park for him, you are wrong.
“My dad didn’t want me to see Tony Soprano—the violence, the angry, the mean,” he told Vanity Fair. “Of course I was on set and would visit him in his trailer, but I had never watched the show…. I never knew Tony Soprano. I only knew my dad.”
Now, just like nearly every film nowadays, The Many Saints of Newark experienced delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though principle photography wrapped late 2019, reshoots were scheduled for 2020. The release date was pushed to March 2021, but it was delayed yet again. This later release date has its perks though: If all goes according to plan, viewers might be able to see it in theaters, which would position the film firmly at the beginning of awards season. Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but we’re not here to challenge The Sopranos pedigree.
COVID-19 also helped the film, though. At the beginning of quarantine in the U.S., HBO reported that viewership of The Sopranos was up 179 percent and attracted a younger generation, including popstar Charli XCX. Now, that’s definitely going to help this film.
With original creatives David Chase and Alan Taylor on board — not to mention a supporting cast that features Vera Farmiga, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ray Liotta and more — we expect nothing but the best from The Many Saints of Newark. Let’s just hope it’s not as divisive as the finale.
