The Sopranos is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. While there is no better time to look back at one of the best television shows of all-time, it’s also a perfect time to look even further back. All the way to the 1960’s when the upcoming Soprano’s prequel, The Many Saints of Newark, will take place. Alessandro Nivola, who will play Dickie Moltisanti (father of Chrissy) spoke to Variety at a Sopranos‘ anniversary event on Wednesday and shared some of the first details of the movie. Via Variety:
“It’s set in 1967 with the backdrop of the race riots that were happening in Newark at that time, and the racial tension between the Italians and the blacks at that moment is a big part of the backdrop of the story,” Nivola said.
Earlier this week, David Chase revealed that the film would focus on the tensions between black and white and that Tony Soprano would be involved, “but as a kid.”According to Nivola, one of the film’s main focuses will be on the relationship between Dickie and Tony.
“Dickie, as he’s mentioned throughout the ‘Sopranos’ series, was an important figure in Tony’s life,” Nivola said. “He was a real mentor figure, because Tony’s dad was is in prison a lot and Dickie didn’t have any children until later in his life until his early 40s, and so he treated Tony like a surrogate son.”
And Tony went on to do the same for Dickie’s son. Until, well, you know.. In addition to Dickie and Tony, a much younger Junior Soprano will be involved, as well as many other characters from the original series. However, aside from Nivola, there has been no other casting news about the movie. According to Deadline, it sounds like David Chase is ready for the reactions when that finally happens.
“Yeah, I feel they’re out there with shotguns, just waiting.”
Yeah, that sounds about right. Let’s just hope no one has to use them.
(Variety, Deadline)
