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Sopranos Prequel Earns $13 M, Chase Labels Mis-Handled

7/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

David Chase announced at Karlovy Vary that his 2021 Sopranos prequel earned $13 million at the box office.
The film starred Michael Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti, and opened in October 2021.
Despite weak theater turnout, it streamed on HBO Max the same day and succeeded.
Chase said the prequel was not what he expected, mishandled Dickie, and turned into an origin story that dominated the process.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 HBO debuted The Sopranos, a six-season, 86-episode drama that won 21 Primetime Emmys and is credited with launching television’s Second Golden Age. Building on that legacy, David Chase released the prequel film The Many Saints of Newark on October 1 2021, starring Michael Gandolfini and Alessandro Nivola, simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.

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Story summary

David Chase announced at Karlovy Vary that his 2021 Sopranos prequel earned $13 million at the box office.
The film starred Michael Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti, and opened in October 2021.
Despite weak theater turnout, it streamed on HBO Max the same day and succeeded.
Chase said the prequel was not what he expected, mishandled Dickie, and turned into an origin story that dominated the process.

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