After the end of The Sopranos‘ successful six-season run on HBO, fans were left pondering many, many things. The most-oft discussed talking point of course involved the final episode’s chilling fade to black, which prompted many speculative theories about what that could mean for loveable antihero, Tony Soprano. Consensus has generally indicated that he was probably offed in those ebbing moments. But, some held out hope for further tales of the New Jersey crime boss, until its leading man James Gandolfini tragically passed away.
Series creator, David Chase, has now begun to stoke the fires of curiosity surrounding the show’s future. Alas, we won’t be treated to a straight-up sequel, BUT, there could be something in the works that’s got a certain Soprano-esque flavour. While doing the press for a brand new Blu-ray release of the complete Sopranos collection, Chase told The Associated Press of an idea he’s been kicking about for some time: a sorta prequel.
“Even if I did it, it wouldn’t be ‘The Sopranos’ that was on the air — obviously at least one person is gone that we would need. There are a couple of eras that would be interesting for me to talk about, about Newark, New Jersey. One would be (the) late ’60s, early ’70s, about all the racial animosity, or the beginning, the really true beginning of the flood of drugs.”
If there’s one genre that HBO have spun into their own successful brand – it’s crime drama. Think about it, they’ve had major hits with the likes of Boardwalk Empire, The Wire and The Sopranos. The latter pair alone redefined the shape of television, and the strong audience appetite for brainy, compelling serials. It’d be an absolute hoot for Chase to turn his hand at another era for the network. And if it features a couple of subtle crossovers to The Sopranos, eh, we ain’t gonna complain.
