Someone must have sensed our ever-growing thirst for all things Sopranos and frankly, we're just glad people are listening. Last week, director of the hotly anticipated prequel, Alan Taylor, hinted at a possible follow-up to The Many Saints of Newark.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor recalled a conversation he had with Sopranos creator David Chase. "David said something that sounded like he was talking about making more content. I said, 'Wait wait, are you talking about a sequel?' And he said, 'Maybe.' "
For the love of good entertainment, we hope that that "maybe" transforms into something definite. Earlier in June, we got our first glimpse into the world of young Tony Soprano. The trailer for The Many Saints of Newark stitched together a compelling portrait of Tony at a crucial tipping point in his life. At this point, he's just your average teen, flunking out of high school despite a soaring IQ, worried mother in tow. Slowly, the trailer reveals Tony's initiation into the mob. Starting with small jobs from his favourite uncle, Dickie, it turns out he's putting that high IQ to other uses. The film plays out against the backdrop of building racial tension that inevitably led to the 1967 Newark riots, a turbulent chapter in New Jersey history.
From what we can tell, The Many Saints of Newark lays down the perfect foundations for an origin series to swoop in and take place. And if we've learned anything about David Chase, we know the idea can't be far from his mind. After all, who doesn't want to see Michael Gandolfini follow his late father's footsteps in the role that defined his career?
So, no a sequel to the prequel has not exactly been greenlit, but we'll be here waiting for the day that it is. And when that day comes, you can be certain in that we'll let you know.
Like the mob of Tony Soprano's world, just when we think we're all out, that the series has ended...they reel us back in again.
The Many Saints of Newark is set to land in cinemas and in HBO Max in the US on October 1, and will be released in theatres in Australia September 23.
