A young Tony Soprano enters the family business in the new trailer for the upcoming Sopranos prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, which is set to open October 1st and stream same-day on HBO Max.
The new clip offers the first proper look at Michael Gandolfini — son of late Sopranos star James Gandolfini — as the teenage Anthony (there were a few smaller glimpses in a trailer for Warner Bros. 2021 movie slate, released earlier this year). He appears well suited to fill his father’s shoes, as evidenced in the opening moments of the clip, when he snaps and beats up a guy bugging him at a telephone booth.
The clip goes on to present Tony as a highly intelligent kid with natural leadership skills, but absolutely zero interest in school. Instead, he’s taken under the wing of his uncle, Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), who introduces him to the world of organized crime in 1967 Newark. This happens at a pivotal moment for the city, as it becomes a flash point in the Civil Rights movement, and as the DiMeo crime family’s grip on the town begins to waver.
Along with Gandolfini and Nivola, the cast of The Many Saints of Newark boasts Leslie Odom, Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, John Magaro, Michela De Rossi, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga. Sopranos creator David Chase wrote the script with one of the show’s longtime writers, Lawrence Konner; the film was directed by Alan Taylor, who also directed several episodes of the series.