In June 2017, when addressing whether or not he would continue The Sopranos, creator David Chase ruled it out while simultaneously hinting at interest in a prequel to the series. In March 2018, New Line Cinema announced that it purchased the rights to produce the prequel film, co-producing with HBO Films, and Chase co-writing the screenplay with Lawrence Konner. Chairman of New Line, Toby Emmerich, stated, "David is a masterful storyteller and we, along with our colleagues at HBO, are thrilled that he has decided to revisit, and enlarge, the Soprano universe in a feature film." Chase said of the storyline, which centers on the 1967 Newark riots and racial tensions between the Italian-American and African-American communities, "I was interested in Newark and life in Newark at that time... I used to go to down there every Saturday night for dinner with my grandparents. But the thing that interested me most was Tony's boyhood. I was interested in exploring that." In July 2018, Alan Taylor, who previously directed episodes of The Sopranos, was hired to direct the film.
Casting
In November 2018, Alessandro Nivola was cast to star in the film as Dickie Moltisanti, the father of Christopher Moltisanti. In January 2019, Chase, while discussing the 20th anniversary of the series, revealed that a young Tony Soprano would appear in the film. Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll and Billy Magnussen were added to the cast that same month. Michael Gandolfini, son of James Gandolfini, was cast in the role of young Tony. Gandolfini, having never watched The Sopranos, watched through it to prepare for the role, describing it as an intense process. Ray Liotta joined the cast in February, with Leslie Odom Jr. and Michela De Rossi joining in March, as well as John Magaro, who starred in Chase's debut feature film in 2012, Not Fade Away.
Filming
Principal photography began in Brooklyn on April 3, 2019, moved to Newark on May 7, and wrapped in June 2019. Branford Place, a street in Newark, was transformed to fit the 1960s time period for the riots, including detailed storefronts, the old Adams Theatre marquee, and the retro neon sign for Hobby's Delicatessen. Luther Engler, a retired Newark police officer, served as a technical adviser for the film. Filming also took place in Bloomfield. Satriale's Pork Store, which was featured in The Sopranos, was recreated in Paterson.
Release
The film was initially scheduled to be released on September 25, 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, its release date was rescheduled to March 12, 2021.
