The Many Saints of Newark: Corey Stoll and Billy Magnussen on Making The Sopranos Prequel

With director Alan Taylor’s The Many Saints of Newark now playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max, I recently spoke to Corey Stoll and Billy Magnussen about making the prequel film to HBO’s hit crime drama, The Sopranos. During the interview they talked about how they each got ready for their roles, what people would be surprised to learn about the making of the film, what it was like shooting two weeks of nothing but funeral scenes, how Magnussen originally auditioned to be another character, and more. If you haven’t seen the trailers, The Many Saints of Newark is set in 1960s New Jersey during one of the most tumultuous eras in the city’s history and follows the people that shaped a young Tony Soprano. While you might think the film is mostly focused on Tony (Michael Gandolfini), it’s actually more about the uncle he idolizes, Richard “Dickie” Moltisanti, played by Alessandro Nivola, who is the father of The Sopranos’ Christopher Moltisanti. In addition, Jon Bernthal plays Johnny Soprano,