The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel to David Chase’s HBO criminal drama series The Sopranos. It is directed by Alan Taylor and written by David Chase and Lawrence Konner. Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Michael Gandolfini, Billy Magnussen, Michela De Rossi, John Magaro, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga star in the film.
The film is set in the 1960s and 1970s in Newark, New Jersey, and uses the city’s 1967 riots as a background for tensions between the Italian-American and African-American communities. It follows Tony Soprano’s teenage years while his uncle and family are involved in a vicious gang battle.
Along with HBO Films, New Line Cinema has acquired the rights to make The Many Saints of Newark. The film was supposed to be released on September 25, 2020, but owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back to October 1, 2021, with a month-long simultaneous premiere on HBO Max.
Young Anthony Soprano is growing up amid one of Newark’s most turbulent periods, maturing into a man just as rival gangsters begin to challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s grip on the increasingly racially divided city.
Dickie Moltisanti, the uncle he idolises, is caught up in the changing times, struggling to balance his business and family obligations—and whose influence on his nephew will help shape the impressionable adolescent into the all-powerful mob boss we’ll later come to know as Tony Soprano.
The Many Saints of Newark filming locations
On April 3, 2019, principal photography for The Many Saints of Newark began in Brooklyn, moved to Newark on May 7, and concluded in June 2019. Branford Place in Newark was transformed to reflect the riots’ 1960s setting, complete with detailed businesses, the old Adams Theatre marquee, and a retro neon sign for Hobby’s Delicatessen.
A technical adviser for the film was Luther Engler, a retired Newark police officer. Bloomfield was also used for filming. Paterson recreated Satriale’s Pork Store, which was seen in The Sopranos. In September 2020, the production returned for reshoots.
Considering that the movie’s name has Newark in it and the gang functioned largely through New Jersey, it is obviously, only fitting that that the movie be shot there to be able to keep the authenticity and bring out the 1960’s vibe in the streets of Newark.
New Jersey, which is considered the cradle of the motion picture business, has a lengthy history of television and cinema. Producers have always been drawn to New Jersey, both because of its proximity and because of the state’s tax incentives.
Before Hollywood, in the early 1890s, Fort Lee, New Jersey was the world’s silent film capital. Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox were among the 17 major studios that have offices here. The forests, farms, waterfalls, and rolling hills of Fort Lee were ideal for shooting a variety of vistas. Best of all, talent from the New York/New Jersey metro area was readily available.
Newark, New Jersey
The filming of The Many Saints of Newark took place in Paterson, New Jersey, in the United States. Passaic, Newark, and Bloomfield were also used for filming. Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionary and Bendix Diner were used as filming sites.
Newark is a city in the state of New Jersey, and it is home to the Newark Liberty International Airport. Big-name concerts, dance performances, and other acts are held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The Newark Museum’s extensive art collection includes paintings and sculptures by American artists.
Despite being the fourth smallest state in the union, New Jersey has one of the most diversified topographies in the country. There is urban, rural, and everything in between, from the famed Jersey Shore to bucolic farms, the Kittatinny Mountains, and the New York City skyline. New Jersey is abundant with natural beauty and is one of the few states in the country that can duplicate any other location.
New Jersey has some of the best cinematography. The different landscapes and surroundings of our state provide not only a backdrop for every production, but also a rich texture, historical context, mood, and style. The Sopranos, House, Law & Order, OZ, Friday the 13th, Malcom X, A Beautiful Mind, and other shows and movies are on the list of entertainment filmed here.