‘The Many Saints Of Newark’: David Chase Fails To Further Gild The ‘Sopranos’ Legacy With An Underwhelming Prequel [Review]

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterStreaming viewership for David Chase’s “The Many Saints of Newark” is coming into focus, as is the massive bump it gave the series that inspired it, “The Sopranos,” according to WarnerMedia’s metrics.While the film’s theatrical rollout last weekend earned $4.6 million at the domestic box office, its performance on HBO Max underscores an important advantage the WarnerMedia platform has against its competitors — the ability to resuscitate its deep bench of

When it comes to WarnerMedia’s theatrical-day-date HBO Max fare, we’ve often written that whatever pales at the cinemas also sours on the service. That was not the case this weekend with the The Sopranos prequel feature The Many Saints of Newark. 

The Sopranos‘ James Gandolfini, which resulted in the pair “barely talking.”The showrunner, who co-wrote the show’s recent spin-off The Many Saints Of Newark, reflected on his tumultuous time with the star in the Happy Sad Podcast.

*Warning spoilers ahead for “The Many Saints of Newark.”* HBO’s “The Sopranos” is considered by many, as one of the key forerunners of the new age of Prestige Television, PeakTV as it were. Yet, with the new spin-off, “The Many Saints of Newark” because of where it was set— during the late-1960s/early-1970s— it didn’t allow for original cast members to return.

, David Chase’s prequel to his critically acclaimed HBO show,, arrived today to screens both big and small. In, James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, portrays Tony Soprano in his young life, years prior to the events of the Emmy-winning show. Also stepping back into the world of are frequent episode director Alan Taylor and former Sopranos writer Lawrence Konner.

David Chase has inked a five-year, first-look deal to create shows for HBO parent WarnerMedia. The news comes as Chase’s “Sopranos” prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark,” which stars Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti and James Gandolfini’s son Michael Gandolfini as a young Tony Soprano, hits theaters and HBO Max today.

Fresh from the release of The Many Saints of Newark, The Sopranos prequel feature, David Chase has signed a five-year, first-look deal with WarnerMedia.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Sopranos” creator David Chase has signed a five year first-look deal with WarnerMedia.News of the deal comes on the day that “The Many Saints of Newark,” a “Sopranos” prequel film written by Chase and Lawrence Konner, is debuting in theaters and on HBO Max. Under his new deal, Chase will develop content for HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros.

After many years in the works, today sees “The Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark” hitting both theaters and HBO Max. The film is intended to work as a stand-alone gangster film but also gives fans some insight into the early days of Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini’s son Michael Gandolfini and the legendary gangster father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola).

14-year long mysterious fate.“The Many Saints of Newark” prequel film director Alan Taylor recently shared his thoughts on “The Sopranos‘” iconic, blackout ending — a stunning conclusion to James Gandolfini’s superb work as a mob don in therapy, an end which came over onion rings and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”“I have to go with Tony’s dead,” Taylor, who directed several “Sopranos” episodes, told the Hollywood Reporter of the hotly debated finale episode, “Made In America.”In that

When Alessandro Nivola first read the script for “The Many Saints of Newark,” he was sent only a handful of scenes. Filmmaker David Chase is notoriously protective of his stories, and Nivola didn’t realize those scenes were for the film’s star.What’s more, Nivola hadn’t seen “The Sopranos,” so it wasn’t until much later that he realized he’d be playing the star of the film Dickie Moltisanti, a gigantic figure in “Sopranos” lore.In speaking with TheWrap, Nivola discussed how he made sure he lived

NEW YORK -- Destiny hangs over the characters of the “Sopranos” prequel “The Many Saints of Newark,” but none more so than its creator.David Chase revolutionized television with his monumental mob opera led by James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, ushering in a new era of ambition on the small screen. But what Chase has really always wanted to do is make movies.“That was my whole goal.

The list of names of those who have had a greater impact on television than David Chase is exceedingly short, if such a list exists at all. Chase made his debut in the medium in 1971, as a one-off writer for “The Lawyers,” penning the episode “In Defense of Ellen McKay.” Chase went on to work as the story editor for the influential horror-thriller series “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” and then as a writer and producer for four seasons of “The Rockford Files,” where he won his first Emmy.

The Sopranos creator David Chase has opened up about bringing back original star Michael Imperioli for the new prequel film The Many Saints Of Newark.The actor, who played Christopher Moltisanti in the original HBO series, reprises his role briefly to narrate the opening and closing scenes, the film itself focusing on young Tony Soprano (Michael Gandolfini).Speaking to NME, Chase admitted that “was not always how the film was going to start”, explaining that Imperioli’s return was to help clear

Leslie Odom Jr wears a suit with a lot of hands on it while arriving at the premiere of The Many Saints of Newark held at Beacon Theatre on Wednesday night (September 22) in New York City.

The Sopranos creator David Chase has opened up about his favourite scene from the show.In conversation with NME ahead of new prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, Chase reflected on the moments from the hit HBO drama that he remains most proud of today.“I’m kind of ashamed because it’s something that I wrote,” he began, when asked to choose a favourite.Chase went on to discuss the scene in particular, which appears in the first episode of season four, ‘For All Debts Public and Private’ which

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticIn its heyday, there was an ad campaign for “The Sopranos” that played, in an obvious but irresistible way, off the word “family.” The show was about Tony Soprano and his tempestuous suburban family, and it was also, of course, about that other family: the Mafia. When it comes to television, though, there is always an additional meaning to family.

riot tonight,” says the girlfriend of numbers runner Harold (Leslie Odom Jr.), right before the Newark riots of 1967 start. Worse than this is the scene where baby Christopher cries whenever he sees his uncle Tony and an older female family member says the infant might know something they don’t.The new characters are all one-dimensional, and we learn nothing new about the old characters from the series.

Tony Soprano may or may not be dead, but unfortunately James Gandolfini is, so to continue The Sopranos saga, creator David Chase has flipped back the calendar to craft something of an origins story for America’s favorite crime family in The Many Saints Of Newark. Set for domestic release while wedded to a simultaneous HBO Max bow on October 1, the Warner Bros/New Line film has its world premiere on September 22 at the Tribeca Fall Preview at New York’s Beacon Theater.