“Sopranos” Creator David Chase Angry about Prequel Film Release to HBO Max

Many fans of “The Sopranos” are excited to revisit the Italian mobster world in the upcoming prequel film, “The Many Saints of Newark.” However, for David Chase, creator of the original series, the occasion isn’t so sweet.

HBO and HBO Max parent company Warner Bros., also known as WarnerMedia, has decided to release this movie in a special format as it is doing with all of its movies for 2021. The film will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day, where users can stream it digitally for 31 days.

At this news, Chase became “extremely angry,” saying, “I don’t think, frankly that I would’ve taken the job if I knew it was going to be a day-and-date release. I think it’s awful.”

Chase laments the difference between this new movie and other movies out today where many are not tied to the medium of television like a “Sopranos” prequel is.

The creator continued, “other movies didn’t start out as a television show. They don’t have to shed that television image before you get people to the theater. But we do. And that’s where we’re at. People should go see it in a theater. It was designed to be a movie. It was… it’s beautiful as a movie. I never thought that it would be back on HBO. Never.”

There is something to be said about a movie like this standing in the shadow of its original material. “The Sopranos” was and still is a cultural icon over the last few decades.

Additionally, the casting itself harkens back to the old show. A young Anthony or Tony Soprano is played by Michael Gandolfini. He is the son of the late actor James Gandolfini, who died in 2013 after suffering a heart attack while in Rome. James Gandolfini is responsible for making Tony Soprano the cultural touchpoint and legendary character that fans know and love. The film will also bring in other known stars like Ray Liotta and Leslie Odom Jr.

Regardless of the creator’s thoughts, the film is sure to cause a buzz in the entertainment world no matter where or how people watch it.

“The Many Saints of Newark” premieres in theaters and on HBO Max on October 1st.