Tony Soprano will make his big-screen debut on Oct. 1 in the highly anticipated Warner Bros. feature “The Many Saints of Newark.”
Set in the 1960s and 1970s, the movie uses the 1967 rebellion in the city as a backdrop for tensions between the Italian-American and African-American communities. The story follows Tony in his teenage years, when his uncle and family are involved in a violent gang war, according to a press release from the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission.
“The Many Saints of Newark” is directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and
Lawrence Konner, and is essentially a prequel to Chase’s landmark HBO crime drama,
“The Sopranos,” which ran for six seasons between 1999 and 2007, according to the press release.
A theatrical release for “The Many Saints of Newark” is set for Oct. 1, along with a month-long simultaneous release exclusively on HBO Max.
The young version of Tony is played by Michael Gandolfini, the son of the late James Gandolfini, who originated the iconic role in “The Sopranos.”
Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, Michela De Rossi, John Magaro, Ray Liotta and Vera Farmiga are also featured in the cast.
“The Sopranos” was filmed in homes, shops, diners and other local establishments
throughout New Jersey, according to a press release from the commission.
The New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission., which falls under the New Jersey Department of State’s Business Action Center, is staffed by industry professionals and serves as a resource for production companies. The commission promotes film and television production in New Jersey, according to the press release.
Nearly 15 years after the television show’s final broadcast, Chase returned to New Jersey to film “The Many Saints of Newark” on locations in Essex and Passaic counties, including Branford Place and Halsey Street (dressed to reflect the 1960s time period), the old Adams Theatre and Hobby’s Delicatessen in Newark.
Filming also took place at Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery in Bloomfield (which was featured in the much discussed final episode of the HBO series), and at the Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights.
Satriale’s Pork Store, originally located in Kearny, was recreated at 42 Market
St. in Paterson.
“In New Jersey, ‘The Sopranos’ are a cultural icon that defined the generation of
television that followed, and we are excited to see them back,” Gov. Phil Murphy was quoted as saying in the press release.
“This film and others set to hit the screen in the coming months are a testament to New Jersey’s growing reputation as a premier filming location as well as the strength of our tax incentive program and we look forward to record growth in the coming year,” he said.
Secretary of State Tahesha Way added, ” ‘The Sopranos’ changed the course of television
history and paved the way for the high quality episodic television we enjoy today.
“It was a game changer for New Jersey when it first aired and significantly contributed to
the state’s rising popularity as a production center. We are thrilled that David Chase
chose to film the movie prequel in New Jersey, returning to the scene of the crimes,” Way said.
“The Many Saints of Newark” is one of many projects recently attracted to the state by
the New Jersey Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program, which offers a tax credit for
qualified productions filming here, according to the press release.
Other recent New Jersey projects include Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead,” the HBO miniseries “The Plot Against America,” Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming remake of “West Side Story.”