Though no one should actually need a reason to once again rewatch David Chase’s inarguable mega-classic The Sopranos, the pandemic era seemingly inspired a large swath of people to almost simultaneously do exactly that. And for the full experience, some—this writer included—coupled another Sopranos rewatch by rolling right into a Mad Men revisit.
Another well-timed rewatch, in fact, could lead directly into watching the wildly anticipated The Many Saints of Newark. The Alan Taylor-directed drama, of course, is a prequel to the original series and sees the late James Gandolfini’s son—Michael Gandolfini—portraying a younger Tony.
On Tuesday, after fan speculation of its impending arrival was confirmed by Sopranos alum (and recent Japanese Breakfast collaborator) Michael Imperioli on Instagram, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures rewarded patient fans with the first trailer.
In the new trailer’s opening moments, we hear a familiar voice briefly reflecting on his youth before we’re thrust into glimpses of where this film will be taking fans who have long theorized about Tony’s pre-Sopranos life. To top it all off, the trailer closes with a few seconds of Alabama 3’s 1997 track “Woke Up This Morning,” i.e. the original series’ opening theme.
Below, peep the official synopsis:
“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.”
Michael Gandolfini is joined in the cast by Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti (Christopher’s father), Corey Stoll as Junior (a.k.a. Uncle June), Billy Magnussen as Paulie, Vera Farmiga as Livia (Tony’s mother), and more. Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Ray Liotta, and Michela De Rossi also star.
The Many Saints of Newark hits theaters and HBO Max (for ad-free plan subscribers) on Oct. 1. In the meantime, now is the perfect time to get into Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa’s Webby-winning Talking Sopranos podcast. This week, the dynamic duo was joined on the show by Toni Kalem, who played Angie Bonpensiero on the original HBO series:
