Earlier this year, it was announced that the critically acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos would be making its way to the big screen. David Chase, the creator of the original series, wrote the screenplay for the film, currently titled The Many Saints of Newark. Chase cowrote the screenplay with fellow Sopranos writer Lawrence Konner. News came this week that Alan Taylor will serve as director for the movie, who directed several episodes of the original series. He has past directing credits for other HBO series like Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire.
The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel to The Sopranos, set in 1960s Newark, New Jersey. It will follow the violent conflicts between black and Italian residents in 1967 Newark. Rioting occurred over the span of four days, and ended 26 deaths and hundreds of injuries.
The project seems promising as much of the original talent is involved in the upcoming film. Because it will precede the events of the TV show, younger versions of the original characters will make appearances. This is somewhat of a given as the series star, James Gandolfini, died in 2013. But at this point, there has been no official casting news.
