The Sopranoslead, Tony Soprano, will forever be remembered as one of the most compelling characters of all time, thanks largely to the intensely committed work of the late, great actor James Gandolfini. Tony will soon make his triumphant return to the screen, albeit in childhood form, with the legacy being picked up by Gandolfini’s real-life son, Michael Gandolfini, in upcoming prequelThe Many Saints of Newark. Now, a newtrailer for HBO Max’s 2021 slateoffers our first look at the young actor in the role.
While the clip is very short, occurring around the trailer’s 20-second mark, we can already see how muchMichael Gandolfinilooks like his father, who sadly passed away in 2013. Not only does Gandolfini Jr. Look like his old man physically, but he also looks to be bringing that same intimidation and raw temper that made Tony Soprano such a terrifyingly captivating presence.
The Many Saints of Newarkwill precede David Chase’s hugely successful crime drama,The Sopranos, and provide some insight into the formative years of New Jersey gangster, Tony Soprano. “I was interested in Newark and life in Newark at that time,” series creator David Chase said in a 2019 interview. “I used to go to down there every Saturday night for dinner with my grandparents. But the thing that interested me most was Tony’s boyhood. I was interested in exploring that.”
Chase also said at the time that the movie would “deal with the tensions between the blacks and whites at the time,” reflecting the fact that the movie is set during the Newark riots in 1967, which sawtensions rise between African Americans and Italian Americansin Newark, N.J.
Directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner,The Many Saints of Newarkhas amassed a stellar cast that includes the likes of Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead,The Punisher) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed,The Conjuring). Bernthal will star as Giovanni Francis “Johnny Boy” Soprano, the father of crime boss Tony Soprano, originally portrayed by Joseph Siravo in six episodes of the HBO drama, with Farmiga set to star alongside him as Giovanni’s wife and Tony’s mother, Livia Soprano, in a role originally played by Nancy Marchand.
The supporting cast includes Alessandro Nivola (A Most Violent Year) as Dickie Moltisanti, father of DiMeo crime family member Christopher Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli inThe Sopranos, as well as Corey Stoll (Ant-Man), Billy Magnussen (No Time to Die), John Magaro (The Umbrella Academy), Leslie Odom Jr. (Murder on the Orient Express), Joey Diaz (Spider-Man 2) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas).
Audiences will unfortunately have to wait even longer before returning to the world ofThe SopranoswithThe Many Saints of Newarkfollowing a recent delay that has pushed the movie back to Fall 2020. Just one of many projects that have been delayed again amid the ongoing global situation,The Many Saints of Newarkwillnow hit screens on August 17, 2025, pushing it back a full year from its original release date.
Much like the rest of Warner Bros 2021 projects,The Many Saints of Newarkwill be released both in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously. This comes to us fromHBO Max.
