David Chase Talks 'The Sopranos,' 'The Many Saints of Newark,' and the Secret to Good Gangster Films [The Fourth Wall #40]

The list of names of those who have had a greater impact on television than David Chase is exceedingly short, if such a list exists at all. Chase made his debut in the medium in 1971, as a one-off writer for "The Lawyers," penning the episode "In Defense of Ellen McKay." Chase went on to work as the story editor for the influential horror-thriller series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and then as a writer and producer for four seasons of "The Rockford Files," where he won his first Emmy. Chase built a career over more than 20 years as an efficient and professional producer on several successful shows, and by the mid-1990s, he was a highly coveted showrunner.

Enter "The Sopranos." Drawing heavily from his personal life, Chase wrote what was originally a feature film screenplay about "a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother," which in 1995 he adapted into an idea for a television series. Four years later, "The Sopranos" made its debut on HBO, and changed television forever. Centered around the late James Gandolfini's masterful portrayal of Tony Soprano, "The Sopranos" ran for six seasons, with Chase officially credited as a writer on 30 episodes, but having contributed to all 86. Heralding a new "Golden Age" of television, "The Sopranos" has been cited by Vince Gilligan as a direct inspiration for "Breaking Bad," and by Matthew Weiner - who worked on the show in its latter two seasons - as having changed his approach to "Mad Men." This is to name only two of the best shows to come out in the 21st century which have been influenced by "The Sopranos."

Now, 15 years after the series finale, Chase is returning to the world of his iconic New Jersey crime family with "The Many Saints of Newark," set roughly 30 years before the first season of the show. The film stars Michael Gandolfini playing his father’s iconic character in his late teens, caught up in a tumultuous time of change, and in his idolization of his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). It’s a film that demands being seen on a big screen, and David Chase has refused to mince words about the film’s hybrid release. “I’m so glad you said [to see it in a theater] so I don’t have to,” said Chase, when I sat down to chat about the film with him. “It’s a different experience and worth the effort. Seeing it in a theater for the first time was a delight.”

During our conversation with Chase, we also discuss why it’s important for audiences to see “The Many Saints of Newark” in theaters, the origins of the film dating back to right after graduating film school, meditations on faith and parenthood, and much more!

“The Many Saints of Newark” hits theaters on October 1st, 2021, and will simultaneously make its streaming debut on HBO Max for one month.