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What you need to know before watching ‘Sopranos’ prequel movie ‘The Many Saints of Newark’

Michael Gandolfini is seen on the movie set of 'The Many Saints of Newark' on March 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin, 2020 Bauer-Griffin)

Grab a plate of gabagool and a dish of baked ziti because “The Sopranos” are (kind of) coming back.

The iconic TV series ran on HBO for eight years, and fans have always wanted some kind of follow up to the series, especially since the final episode could be interpreted in so many different ways.

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Instead of a reboot, series creator David Chase decided to explore Tony Soprano’s past -- and this time in a movie, giving fans a peek behind the curtains at how the infamous Tony Soprano became a mob crime boss.

The movie is called “The Many Saints of Newark,” and it will explore the lives of many members of the cast during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

When you watch the trailer, it’s like trying to pick out which actor is playing your favorite character from the original series.

So if you’re a diehard “Sopranos” fan, or you’ve always heard about the hype and are now intrigued, this is what you need to know before seeing “The Many Saints of Newark,” which comes out in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 1.


The story will focus more on Dickie Moltisanti than Tony Soprano.

If you watched the show, the last name “Moltisanti” will sound familiar to you. Christopher Moltisanti was of course in the regular series and was Tony’s nephew and mentor. Just how Tony took Christopher under his wing, Dickie, aka Christopher’s dad, did the same when Tony was a teenager.

Dickie Moltisanti was often mentioned in the original series, but we truly never got a clear picture about what this guy was about. Based off the trailer of the movie alone, you can already tell this movie is going to really explore who this guy was, and how he impacted the lives of Tony, Christopher and the rest of Tony’s crew.

James Gandolfini’s son, Michael Gandolfini, plays teenager Tony Soprano.

Even though the main focus of this movie doesn’t squarely fall on Tony Soprano, Chase still had to make sure the casting of the iconic character was correct. And who better to play Tony than the son of the man who made the character so memorable?

Luckily, Michael Gandolfini had acted before landing the role that was made so famous by his dad, and based off the few moments we’ve seen from the teaser trailers, he looks and sounds the part.

There is a moment in the trailer where Tony yells at his mother, “I’m always being accused,” and it’s seriously like looking at a young James Gandolfini.

He looks like his father and certainly picked up the Tony Soprano mannerisms. Given that James Gandolfini is no longer alive, it will be really special to see his son step into his shoes, and do it successfully.

We’ll get to meet younger versions of most of the characters.

Aside from Meadow and AJ, it looks like we’ll get to meet the younger versions of most of the characters from the original series.

Obviously, there is Tony, but we’ll also see his family members, like his mother Livia, who is played by Vera Farmiga.

Tony’s relationship with his mother, (his mom, by the way, is the equivalent to a snake full of venom), was always exciting to watch. We’ll also get to see Uncle Junior, Tony’s dad (who was dead before “The Sopranos” started) and his over-the-top sister Janice.

And you can’t forget about Tony’s crew. We’ll get to see younger versions of Tony’s right-hand man Silvo Dante, fan favorite Pauly Walnuts and the great Salvatore Bonpensiero. It will be such a treat to see all of these characters back together, except a little bit younger.

The big question is, will we get to see Tony meet his future wife Carmela? She hasn’t been seen in any promos, but maybe it’s a big surprise that the movie is keeping from us?

We’ll have to wait and see.


Will you be watching “The Many Saints of Newark” when it comes out? Let us know in the comments below.


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About the Author
Jack Roskopp headshot

Jack is a Digital Content Editor with a degree in creative writing and French from Western Michigan University. He specializes in writing about movies, food and the latest TV shows.

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