The Sopranos prequel’s The Many Saints of Newark release has been delayed

The Sopranos’ prequel, The Many Saints Of Newark, has been pushed back from March 12 to a new premiere date of September 24.

The prequel, which was written by show creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner, is published by Warner Bros. and produced by New Line Cinemas.

The film is set to debut in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously amid changes in the theater industry with massive closings and uncertainty amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Delay: The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark, starring Michael Gandolfini (L) and written by creator David Chase, has been pushed back from March to September 24.

Principal photography for the film began in April 2019, and the film was completed before the March 2020 shutdown amid the spread of the virus.

A few scenes from the film were re-shot last September, and sources told Variety the postponement is being made to ensure the film is better prepared for awards season with a premiere on the festival circuit this fall.

The cast includes Ray Liotta, Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Cory Stoll and Billy Magnussen; Michael Gandolfini, the son of the star of the television show James Gandolfini, who died in 2013 at the age of 51, will play the youngest incarnation of his father’s character, Tony Soprano.

The film, which will also explore the tension that existed between African Americans and Italians who lived in the titular community of New Jersey amid the unrest of the 1967 riots in Newark, which left 26 dead and hundreds more injured .

Michael Gandolfini, son of TV show star James Gandolfini, will play the youngest incarnation of his father’s character, Tony Soprano

Flashback: In the film, Alessandro Nivola plays Dickie Moltisanti, the father of the Sopranos character Christopher Moltisanti (played by Michael Imperioli)

The Sopranos series featured many flashbacks of the 1960s throughout its run, starring Joseph Siravo as Tony Soprano’s father, Johnny Boy, Laila Robins as Tony’s mother Livia Soprano, and Rocco Sisto in the young junior soprano.

The film will also feature Dickie Moltisanti (Nivola), father of Christopher Moltisanti (played by Michael Imperioli) and mentor to Tony.

The series – which ended on a cliffhanger – debuted in January 1999 and ran until May 2007. The series and its stars racked up Emmy awards during its run and it is considered a brand. fire in the television genre.

Amid the delay, Sopranos fans can still refuel on the Talking Sopranos podcast, hosted by show alumni Imperioli and Steve Schirripa.