The Sopranos creator says he’s had ‘arguments’ with the studio about The Many Saints of Newark

Is another Sopranos spin-off in the works? What was it like filming the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark? Series creator David Chase talks about this and more in a recent interview.

In an interview with The Rolling Stone, Chase chats all about the Sopranos franchise, including the upcoming prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark. It’s a great read! But the biggest takeaway is Chase revealing that there were arguments going on behind-the-scenes.

Recently, we shared that Chase has plans to continue the Sopranos franchise, so we can imagine just how important this upcoming movie is to him. Even though we don’t know in which direction the next Sopranos project will go, a lot is hanging on the movie.

If audiences, particularly those who are fans of The Sopranos TV series, enjoy the movie, there will be more similar projects on the way. That said, it needs to be well-received, so it’s understandable if tensions were high while filming.

Why did David Chase argue with the studio while working on Sopranos prequel?

The source comments how bizarre life has been these past 17 months, stating that, because of it, The Many Saints of Newark is not getting a movie theater-exclusive release. Instead, the movie will stream on HBO Max at the same time the film is in theaters.

Chase sarcastically says it’s “wonderful,” calling it “Infamnia!” (a disgrace). Clearly, he isn’t too happy about a streaming release.

Chase is then asked what he hopes the audience’s response to the film be, to which he says:

"“Well, I’m hoping that a lot of people go to see it. I couldn’t say anything more than that. If they don’t, they don’t.”"

The creator goes on to share that he has had arguments with the studio about “things that they want, because it’ll put butts in seats, as they say, that I just don’t want to do and won’t do.”

I’m sure more details will surface closer to or after the films release about what creative differences Chase and the studio had. But, as excited as Chase is about the movie, he doesn’t seem too pleased about what happened behind-the-scenes, also sharing:

"“It’s unfortunate for Hollywood and for major studios that their business happens to contain an art form. I have no sympathy, and if they wanted that not to be the case, they should’ve gone into the shoe business.”"

The Many Saints of Newark is in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 1, 2021. Will you be watching the movie in theaters or streaming it from home?