"The Sopranos" sequel "The Many Saints of Newark" will soon roll for the cameras. However, this project from series creator David Chase won't be another television show. Instead, it will be a feature-length movie about the life of Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti.
Alessandro Nivola has been cast to play the lead in "The Many Saints of Newark." He confirmed in an interview with Esquire that work on the film will begin this coming April.
So far, however, production hasn't announced any additional casting, including who will play a young Tony Soprano. But Nivola also revealed that Tony would be a teenager needing guidance in "The Many Saints of Newark" and Dickie will be the only person watching over this young man's welfare.
Fans of "The Sopranos," which aired on HBO from 1999 to 2007, may recall that Uncle Dickie has been a very important figure on Tony Soprano's (James Gandolfini) life. He was Carmela Soprano's (Edie Falco) older cousin and the father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), one of Tony's soldiers as the leader of the mob in New Jersey.
Dickie, however, died while Christopher was still a baby. It's the reason why Tony always has a soft spot for Christopher because he never got to know his father.
The character never appeared in the award-winning TV series, not even during some flashbacks or dream sequences. But Tony would often share anecdotes about his Uncle Dickie and these stories will likely be part of the upcoming movie's storyline.
Chase confirmed that he will be doing "The Sopranos" prequel under New Line last March 2018. Lawrence Konner wrote the screenplay along with Chase. On the other hand, Alan Taylor, who previously directed some episodes of the series, will be helming the movie.
Apart from the Dickie stories, "The Many Saints of Newark" will also touch on the period and the social theme of that era. In the late '60s, the Italian-Americans in Newark were always at odds with the African-Americans gangs and sometimes, these conflicts would turn fatal.
Fans expect that the movie will also tackle very important and relatable themes the way the TV show did. "The Sopranos" was not just a story about the Mafia because it also touched on family, identity, addiction, depression and living the American Dream.
During the time of its airing "The Sopranos" won several major awards, including Best Drama Series at the Golden Globes and numerous acting awards for Gandolfini and Falco. The series ushered the Golden Age of Television. Meanwhile, "The Many Saints of Newark" does not have a theater release date yet as of press time.
