“The Sopranos” creator David Chase has a new project in the works at FX. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Chase will co-write and co-create a new drama for the network with Hannah Fidell (“A Teacher”).
‘The Sopranos’ Creator David Chase Working On New FX Drama
Details are being kept mum at the moment, the project is reportedly based on a previously unproduced script that Chase worked on, with a new contemporary take by Fidell. FX Productions is producing the project, which THR notes already has a pilot commitment.
Fidell is also attached to direct the series, with herself, Chase, and Chase Films’ Nicole Lambert executive producing the project.
The project ultimately went to FX despite Chase recently signing a five-year, first-look TV and film deal with Warner Bros. Discover back in October 2021. That was around the same time Chase’s “Sopranos” prequel movie, “The Many Saints of Newark,” was released in theaters and on HBO Max.
Chase’s “The Sopranos” became one of television and HBO’s most celebrated dramas. The show ran for six seasons from 1999-2007. During its run, the series won 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, including two wins for Outstanding Drama Series. Chase earned three Emmy Awards for his work on the show Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.
Since the show concluded, Chase wrote and directed the 2012 film, “Not Fade Away,” and he also co-wrote and produced “The Many Saints of Newark” prequel. HBO at one time announced that Chase was working on a miniseries about the golden years of Hollywood called “A Ribbon of Dreams.” However, the show did not materialize.
As a follow-up to “The Sopranos,” “The Many Saints of Newark” was moderately received by critics, scoring 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film fell victim due multiple factors at the box office, as it was released day and date in theaters and on streaming for HBO Max, so many people weren’t rushing out to see the film in theaters. It only ended up making $8 million domestically and $13 million worldwide.
Speaking to Deadline in October 2021, then head of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Ann Sarnoff said that they were “thrilled” with the results of “The Mandy Saints of Newark” and were talking to Chase about a new spinoff for “The Sopranos.” However, talk of that project seems to have died down. At the time, Sarnoff stated, “We’re talking to David about a new series, ‘Sopranos’ related, on HBO Max.”
Fidell’s series experience includes turning her 2013 Sundance Film Festival entry, “A Teacher,” into a limited series drama for FX and Hulu in 2020. The series version starred Kate Mara, with Fidell directing multiple episodes and serving as the showrunner. Her other credits include “The Long Dumb Road.”
