It’s finally here. After years of Internet rumors and whispered talk amongst Hollywood, The Sopranos prequel has a trailer. The Many Saints of Newark is an origin story about Tony Soprano and his initial foray into the world of organized crime.

Set during the 1967 Newark riots, known as “The Long Hot Summer of 1967,” the movie will focus on a young Tony Soprano – who’s described as having a high IQ and natural leadership qualities – as he falls under the spell of his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), the father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli).

In a choice bit of casting, Tony Soprano is played by Michael Gandolfini, the real-life song of James Gandolfini, who played Tony in the HBO series. Having never seen the show or acted before, the 22-year-old was put through the wringer by series creator David Chase, watching all six seasons of the show and listening to hours of voice his father’s monologues before landing the role.

Speaking with Vanity Fair early this year, Gandolfini described the film as “an origin story through the eyes of Dickie Moltisanti, Christopher’s father. The Tony Soprano we know has this beautiful vulnerability underneath and this rough exterior, but what if we flip that on its side and you watch a creative, hopeful, kind, curious kid get whittled down and formed into what he has to be?”

As well as capturing the relationship between Soprano and his uncle, the film appears to deal with the racial tension brewing between the Italians and African-Americans. It’s shaping up as an authentic period piece about the New York mob, and with Alan Taylor (Deadwood, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos) directing, The Many Saints of Newark could be one of the films of 2021. Read the official synopsis from

Young Anthony Soprano (portrayed by Michael Gandolfini) 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 (portrayed by Alessandro Nivola), who struggles to manage both his professional and personal responsibilities – and whose influence over his impressionable nephew will help make the teenager into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know: Tony Soprano.