The Sopranos creator David Chase reveals he has a sequel movie idea in mind following the success of prequel film The Many Saints of Newark. Co-written by Chase and Lawrence Konner and helmed by series vet Alan Taylor, the film revolves around a violent gang war in the 1960s and '70s in the titular New Jersey city involving mobster Dickie Moltisanti and his teenage nephew Tony Soprano. Alessandro Nivola and Michael Gandolfini lead the cast of The Many Saints of Newark as Dickie and Tony, the latter of whom takes over the role from his late father, which also includes Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, John Magaro, Ray Liotta and Vera Farmiga.
Development on The Many Saints of Newark slowly got in the works in 2017 when Chase shut down the idea of continuing The Sopranos but expressed interest in a prequel to the series. New Line Cinema would officially acquire the rights in 2018 and partner with HBO Films for the project, with casting getting underway later that year and filming initially occurring in early 2019. After the global pandemic forced delays to both reshoots and its release, The Many Saints of Newark would officially hit theaters and HBO Max this past month to generally positive reviews from critics.
Chase recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast to discuss The Many Saints of Newark and The Sopranos. When asked what the future may hold for the franchise, the Emmy winner confirmed he has an idea for more, though isn't sure whether it will be what HBO is looking for. See what Chase said below:
"I would do one more movie. Because I have an idea for that that I’d like to do. But I don’t think they want that."
It's interesting to note that Chase doesn't specify where his idea for another film would land in the timeline for The Sopranos or The Many Saints of Newark. The Emmy winner has frequently downplayed his ideas of a sequel to his celebrated series, instead expressing interest in continuing his prequel storyline. While it's unclear why Chase doesn't believe his pitch is something HBO would want, it was recently revealed that the two are in early talks for another Sopranos prequel project, though at the time of writing hasn't been confirmed to be a series or another film.
HBO's eagerness to keep The Sopranos brand alive is understandable given the significant uptick in popularity it has seen in recent years. Since The Many Saints of Newark was announced and the show arrived on HBO Max, it led to a significant spike in viewership for the latter on the streaming platform, where the film would also ensure a successful run for the studio, outperforming similarly budgeted titles Reminiscence and Cry Macho and tripling the second-most viewed film of the weekend. While fans await word on what the future holds for the franchise, The Sopranos is available to stream on HBO Max now.
Source: THR