The Many Saints of Newark

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti
• Leslie Odom Jr. as Harold McBrayer
• Jon Bernthal as Johnny Soprano
• Corey Stoll as Junior Soprano
• Michael Gandolfini as Tony Soprano
  • William Ludwig as Young Tony Soprano
• Billy Magnussen as Paulie Walnuts
• Michela De Rossi as Giuseppina Moltisanti
• John Magaro as Silvio Dante
• Ray Liotta as “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti, twin brothers
• Vera Farmiga as Livia Soprano
• Talia Balsam as Mrs. Jarecki
• Patina Miller as Queen Isola
• Joey Coco Diaz as Buddha, Pussy’s father
• Germar Terrell Gardner as Cyril
• Michael Imperioli as Christopher Moltisanti (voice)
• Samson Moeakiola as Pussy Bonpensiero
• Alexandra Intrator as Janice Soprano
  • Mattea Conforti as Young Janice Soprano
• Gabriella Piazza as Joanne Moltisanti
• Lesli Margherita as Iris Balducci
• Kathryn Kates as Angie DeCarlo
• Nick Vallelonga as Carmine Cotuso
• Daryl Edwards as Julius
• Ed Marinaro as Jilly Ruffalo
• Robert Vincent Montano and Matteo Russo play Artie Bucco at varying ages
• Chase Vacnin as teenage Jackie Aprile
• Oberon K.A. Adjepong as Frank Lucas
• Lauren DiMario as teenage Carmela De Angelis, Tony’s future wife

Storyline:

Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark’s history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s hold over the increasingly race-torn city. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities and whose influence over his nephew will help make the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know: Tony Soprano.

About Movie:

The Many Saints of Newark serves as a prequel to David Chase’s HBO crime drama The Sopranos (1999–2007), set against the backdrop of the 1960s and 1970s Newark, New Jersey.

The idea for the film originated when Chase, after finishing film school, envisioned a story about four white men from Newark who joined the National Guard to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, only to be deployed to the 1967 Newark riots. Though this concept was never produced, after The Sopranos became a success, Tom Fontana suggested Chase write a film centered on Tony Soprano’s father, Johnny Boy Soprano, in the 1930s or 1940s. However, Chase eventually lost interest in this idea.

Principal photography began in Brooklyn on April 3, 2019, and moved to Newark on May 7, wrapping up in June 2019 with a $50 million budget. Locations like Branford Place in Newark were transformed to reflect the 1960s, including recreations of period storefronts and landmarks such as the old Adams Theater marquee and the neon sign for Hobby’s Delicatessen. Retired Newark police officer Luther Engler served as a technical adviser, and filming also occurred in Bloomfield and Paterson, where Satriale’s Pork Store from The Sopranos was recreated.

Reshoots were initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in September 2020, during which the filmmakers enhanced parts of the film’s story. The 1967 Newark riots served as a backdrop for the film’s exploration of the racial tensions between the Italian-American and Black communities.

Director Alan Taylor meticulously recreated shots from archival photos and footage of the riots. Post-production saw debates about whether the portrayal of the riots would remain sensitive following the George Floyd protests, but Taylor ensured that the depiction was respectful.

Originally scheduled for release in September 2020, the film’s release was delayed several times due to the pandemic, finally premiering on September 22, 2021, at the Tribeca Fall Preview. It was released theatrically and on HBO Max for a limited 31-day window, becoming a streaming success.

In its opening weekend, The Many Saints of Newark was viewed one million times, outperforming other similarly budgeted films. The film helped break HBO Max viewership records, reigniting interest in The Sopranos. By the end of its first month, it had been streamed in over 2.1 million U.S. households, and by its second week, it was the eighth most-streamed film in the U.S.

The film was released on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and DVD on December 21, 2021, featuring special features such as deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes documentaries. It debuted at 33rd for overall disc sales and 18th in Blu-ray sales.

Budget & Box Office Collection: