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One of the fun aspects of The Many Saints of Newark is that it brings back classic characters from The Sopranos. In the film, viewers are presented with younger versions of fan favorites like Tony Soprano, Silvio Dante and Paulie “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri. Interestingly, director Alan Taylor previously confirmed that the movie cut a present-day scene featuring Edie Falco’s Carmela Soprano. Taylor recently opened up to CinemaBlend about the response to that major revelation and also shared thoughts on the OG stars he would’ve loved to bring into the film.
Fans of The Sopranos were likely surprised, and a bit disappointed, after learning that the Emmy winner had been cut from the finished film. However, when I recently spoke with Alan Taylor myself, he indicated that plenty of thought went into that creative decision. Taylor explained that Carmela was specifically meant to open the film, before some changes took hold:
I saw that I mentioned the Edie Falco story, and it sort of lit up online [laughs]. And I was like, ‘Oh, man, am I not supposed to give this stuff away?’ But I think it's okay to be honest about, you know, the process of making the movie, you find it sometimes in the making. So there were other beginnings that we tried and even shot a couple. She was offered one of them. And ultimately, it was really David [Chase]'s sort of breakthrough to have this new way of beginning the movie that took over.
Alan Taylor directed a number of episodes of the original HBO series and, through his work, he likely forged solid relationships with a number of the stars. When discussing the familiar faces he’d love to reteam with, he named a few key actors. This included one particular legend that I think we all wish we could watch again:
There's a lot I'd love to go back and, you know, work with again, Tony Sirico would be great to see him some more, he’s a big one … and [Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler]. Of course, we all wish we could work with James Gandolfini and consult again. And that's a sort of shadow that hangs over the whole thing. But it was… I think it turned out to be sort of a beautiful thing to be able to do this with Michael [Gandolfini] and in a way, have that connection to Jim.
While I didn’t know James Gandolfini personally, I’d like to think that he’d be proud of the work that’s been done by Alan Taylor, David Chase, Michael Gandolfini and the rest of the cast and crew. The Many Saints of Newark not only works as a tribute to the New Jersey city, it also perfectly encapsulates the essence of the show that birthed it. The celebrated series is available to stream on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.
David Chase has since expressed interest in doing another motion picture set within this universe, so there’s a chance that some of those actors could return down the road. I’d love to see a story set after The Sopranos’ series finale but, then again, I wouldn’t mind seeing another period piece, either. Here’s hoping we see more of the DiMeo crime family and the people in their orbit.
The Many Saints of Newark arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on October 1.
