The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark has added mob movie royalty to its cast, nabbing Goodfellas actor Ray Liotta.
Premiering in 1999,The Sopranos charted the life and times of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he juggled family issues with the stresses of running a modern-day crime operation. The HBO show went on to become one of the most acclaimed series in TV history, setting the bar for the new eraof prestige television before finally going off the air in 2007.
“I am thrilled to be working with David Chase and Alan Taylor on The Many Saints of Newark,” Liotta said. “David’s talent is unmatched and the directing of Alan Taylor makes this even more exciting. I respect them both immensely and look forward to making this special project with New Line.”
Liotta joining the film continues the tradition of Goodfellas cast members who appeared in the series — 27 in total including stars Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Frank Vincent and Tony Sirico among them — but being set in The Many Saints of Newark puts Liotta in rarified territory, or at least a cool trivia question.
The filmmakers are keeping quiet on details for the project and the roles most actors are playing in The Many Saints of Newark, but it is known that some of the beloved characters from The Sopranos will appear in the film. The Sopranos ran six seasons and won 21 Primetime Emmys, five Golden Globes and Peabody Awards. Chase and Konner are producing The Many Saints of Newark and Chase Films’ Nicole Lambert is exec producing along with Marcus Viscidi.
Robert-Deniro-Joe-Pesci-and-Ray-Liotta-in-Goodfellas
Of course, Liotta is already forever linked to the gangster genre thanks to his unforgettable performance as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s classic filmGoodfellas. Not only did Scorsese’s film launch Liotta’s career, but it also famously served as a major inspiration for The Sopranos itself. Indeed, David Chase has referred to Goodfellas as his “Koran.” Not only are there major storytelling and thematic links between Scorsese’s movie and Chase’s series, but the two also shared many cast members.
With Liotta’s addition, the cast of The Many Saints of Newark becomes even more intriguing. There’s no doubt that Liotta will slide easily into the world of The Sopranos, while providing yet another link between David Chase’s mob universe and the Scorsese classic that in many ways birthed its creation.
(Excerpts) Read More at: Deadline.com and ScreenRant.com