After many years in the works, today sees “The Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark” hitting both theaters and HBO Max. The film is intended to work as a stand-alone gangster film but also gives fans some insight into the early days of Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini’s son Michael Gandolfini and the legendary gangster father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola).
Creator David Chase is promoting the film and appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, pulling the curtain behind the show and his relationship with star James Gandolfini. Stories of heated exchanges between the two are not necessarily new. Still, a new generation of fans just catching up with the show recently thanks to the movie, audiences might be shocked to hear just how tense and embittered the relationship between the mercurial actor and showrunner/creator became.
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“We were barely talking,” Chase said about their relationship around the time the show was ending. “At the last party or screening or Emmys, it was the last time we’d all be together, and we’re sitting at a table, [James Gandolfini] went by with his food and my wife said ‘Hey! Jim, come sit over here,’ and he just ignored her and sat someplace else. He started that kind of stuff, for my wife I was infuriated. I suddenly said to myself, ‘I really hate that motherfucker, I hate that guy.’ That’s what it had come to.”
Adding that Gandolfini called him “Satan” and the writers “vampires” while on set because writers would take certain incidents from real life, not from his mind you, for the show.
However, the animosity seemed to eventually become forgotten when Chase was looking to cast roles in his film “Not Fade Away” (2012). Gandolfini initially passed on a part he was offered, but months later, during a casual conversation, the actor asked how the film was going. Chase told him they were having casting problems but finally had landed on an actor. When Gandolfini inquired who the part was going to, he bristled and paused. “I can’t let you do that,” he said in response to the idea of casting the unnamed actor. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
When asked if two men articulated the-now water-under-the-bridge tensions further than that, Chasse said “No,” but noted they got along very well on “Not Fade Away.” Still, Gandolfini was a tough nut to crack.
“After the movie, I went to an Easter party at his house and someone was hocking me about doing the ‘Sopranos’ movie…I asked [Gandolfini] would you be interested in doing a ‘Sopranos’ movie, he goes [doing an unimpressed voice] ‘Well, I’d have to read a script,’” he said with a laugh.
It’s certainly an interesting dynamic considering we’re talking about an iconic show that many consider the pinnacle of when modern television started to compete with filmmaking leading to the high standard at HBO.