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The Many Saints of Newark had a surprise waiting in its cutting room: Carmela Soprano from The Sopranos. Edie Falco suited up as Tony Soprano’s sharp-tongued wife for the film’s original opening scene. But just before the final cut, her entire moment got shelved. Director Alan Taylor spilled the behind-the-scenes tea that Carmela was in the picture until she wasn’t.
The throwback bombshell dropped during Taylor’s chat with NME, where he admitted that The Sopranos legend made it all the way back to set. “We had Edie come in and she dressed up as Carmela and we shot something with her and it wound up not being in the final movie but it was a great excuse to see her again,” he said (via Cheat Sheet). He also added, “She’s so ridiculously talented and she’s also one of these people who – and it seems to frequently be women – that manage to be perfect actors and also the sanest people you’ve ever met in your life.”
This wasn’t just a quick cameo, either. Alan Taylor explained that the movie’s opening had undergone several versions, and Falco was part of one. But her scene was left behind when the creative team reworked the beginning. The Many Saints of Newark, released in 2021, served as a prequel to The Sopranos, HBO’s crime saga that first hit the screen in 1999.
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While the show ran for six critically acclaimed seasons, the movie took fans back to Tony Soprano’s roots long before he became the boss of North Jersey. The story was set in the 1960s and 1970s, with the Newark riots painting the backdrop.
A handful of familiar characters made their return. Michael Gandolfini stepped into his late father’s shoes as a young Tony. Vera Farmiga transformed into the manipulative matriarch, Livia. Jon Bernthal played Johnny Boy Soprano, and Corey Stoll brought Junior Soprano’s early days to life. And then there was supposed to be Carmela.
Her appearance would’ve connected past and prequel in a slick little bridge. But like many scenes in film production, it didn’t survive the final round. Taylor revealed, “Not to give away too much but, when you make a movie you’re not exactly sure the final shape it’s going to be and we, believe it or not, shot a few things that included other cast members.”
Despite the big names and heavy nostalgia, the release hit a speed bump. Warner Bros. dropped The Many Saints of Newark day-and-date on HBO Max and in theaters due to the pandemic. That move reportedly left The Sopranos creator David Chase fuming. He had hoped to give the prequel a cinematic life far removed from its television roots.
Carmela Soprano may not have made it to the big screen this time, but her nearly-there cameo added one more fascinating footnote to The Sopranos legacy. Even when she didn’t show up, she still made noise.
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