Upcoming Sopranos Prequel Confirmed

Per Deadline, David Chase has written a script with Lawrence Konnor that is a prequel to “The Soprano’s,” Chase’s iconic TV series (1999-2007) that starred the late James Gandolfini as North Jersey mobster, Tony Soprano. The working title of the screenplay is “The Many Saints of Newark” and it has been purchased by New Line. It will be set in Newark, New Jersey during the 1960s when Tony Soprano was growing up.

Now we have already seen flashbacks of Tony’s boyhood during the original series. Watch some clips on YouTube (containing profanity and violence) where young Tony is played by Bobby Borielli. (He also played the little boy in “A Walk on the Moon” (1999) who finally got to do Chuck in “The Name Game” song when he got stung by a bee.)

In one of them, Livia is watching the Newark Riots of 1967 unfold on the TV screen while ironing. Hugh Addonizio, then mayor of Newark, is mentioned in the TV report. He was notorious for being in bed with the mob and was later convicted of corruption and sent to Federal prison. It has been said that Tony Soprano’s father, Johnny Boy, was based on Richie “the Boot” Boiardo, who controlled the city of Newark back then, while Tony himself was based on Boiardo’s son, Tony Boy.

The July 1967 Newark riots were rough days in Newark’s history. The National Guard was called in and curfews were imposed. At one point, no one could leave or enter the city.

But we suppose the focus of the film is going to be on the Soprano family and if we’re going to see Johnny Boy, then certainly, we’re going to see Tony’s mother, Livia, and his uncle, Junior. Tony’s siblings, Janice and Barbara will have to be in it, and likely cousin Tony Blundetto. There’s no word on how long a period of time the film will cover, but if they take it up to Tony’s high school years, we may possibly see Carmela when her last name was still DeAngelis. Also, Artie Bucco and Charmaine were high school friends.

Of course, we don’t expect any of the actors from the TV series to be in the film but, surely, all Soprano fans will be following news on this closely.