I miss James Gandolfini. I miss him a lot, and the thought of any sort of Sopranos-related project moving forward without him doesn't feel good. I know, THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK will be a prequel to the iconic HBO series, but I can't help but to feel that they should leave The Sopranos alone. The film, which has been scripted by series creator David Chase, will be set in the era of the Newark riots in the 60s. It was a time when the African-Americans and the Italians of Newark were at each other’s throats, and among the gangsters of each group, those conflicts became especially lethal.
THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK has taken another step forward as The Wrap has learned that none other than Alan Taylor has just closed a deal to helm The Sopranos prequel. If you're judging Taylor by his work on THOR: THE DARK WORLD or TERMINATOR: GENISYS, fear not, for the director has helmed quite a number of standout episodes for excellent TV series in the past, including Homicide: Life on the Street, Oz, The West Wing, Deadwood, Rome, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, and of course The Sopranos, even winning an Emmy Award for directing. Although there aren't many plot details just yet, it is known that several characters from the HBO series will appear. The 1960s time period would provide an opportunity for appearances from Tony Soprano’s father, Giovanni "Johnny Boy" Soprano, Giovanni's wife Livia, as well as Corrado "Junior" Soprano. Despite my reservations, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK will prove to be a worthy addition to The Sopranos saga. What do you folks think?