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 era of prestige television before finally going off the air in 2007.
Over a decade after The Sopranos left the air with one of the most controversial finales in TV history, creator David Chase will revisit his gangster saga with a prequel film titled The Many Saints of Newark. Sopranos episode director Alan Taylor will helm the prequel film, which is set to star James Gandolfini’s son Michael as the younger version of Tony Soprano. Alessandro Nivola is set to play the key character Dickie Moltisanti, the father of Sopranos character Christopher. Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen and Corey Stoll have also joined the cast in so far undisclosed roles.
Related: 19 Things Fans Completely Missed In The Sopranos
As reported by Deadline, The Many Saints of Newark has now added another cast member in mob movie veteran Liotta. Details about Liotta’s character are, like most things about the film, currently being kept under wraps. In a statement, Liotta expressed his excitement about joining the project, saying “David [Chase’s] talent is unmatched and the directing of Alan Taylor makes this even more exciting.”
Of course, Liotta is already forever linked to the gangster genre thanks to his unforgettable performance as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s classic film Goodfellas. 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.
The most prominent cast member to cross over from Goodfellas to The Sopranos was of course Lorraine Bracco, who played Henry Hill’s wife Karen in the movie, then played Tony Soprano’s therapist Jennifer Melfi on the TV show. Sopranos actors Tony Sirico, Frank Vincent and Michael Imperioli also all appeared in Goodfellas, the last in the infamous role of Spider, the unfortunate bar boy who was shot in the foot – and later murdered – by Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito. The Sopranos‘ Vincent Pastore also shows up in Goodfellas, though it’s hard to spot his role as he appears for just an instant during the famous Copacabana shot.
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.
