WISE GUY: David Chase and The Sopranos, the HBO original bipartite documentary, will be released on Saturday, September 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and stream on Max. Via Max News, the two-part documentary debuted at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.
The synopsis is as follows: “After 25 years since The Soprano aired, it remains a reset for television series’ influence. The filmmaker of WISE GUY: David Chase and The Sopranos Alex Gibney (Zero Days) examines the extent of the mind of The Sopranos’ creator David Chase (The Many Saints of Newark). The documentary highlights his life, career and work on his show.”
During a replication set of Dr. Melfi’s psychiatrist’s office, Gibney changes the narrative on Chase as he digs and investigates the show’s origins, the creative process behind it and the relationships between his life and his characters. Actors, executives, producers and show writers join the documentary as it offers a perspective and artistry alongside a variety of audition videos, behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the show. The documentary’s goal is to take the viewer into the stunning world of ‘The Sopranos’. From his childhood home in New Jersey with his Italian-American family and a passion for cinema, Chase expresses his path towards Hollywood, where he wrote many television shows and pitched his character Tony Soprano as The Sopranos developed over time.
With lots of self-reflection, Chase delves into the challenges he faced running a show, like the ‘deaths’ of characters and a creative work relationship with James Gandolfini (Enough Said, The Drop). WISE GUY: David Chase And The Sopranos shows the audience the writer’s room from the pilot episode to the final episode, showing how a series about a mob boss can become a cultural reset, fan-favorite and innovative television phenomenon.
The featured participants include creator David Chase, writer and producer Robin Green (Blue Bloods), former chairman and CEO of HBO Chris Albrecht (Survivor’s Remorse), former president of HBO Entertainment Carolyn Stratuss (Game Of Thrones), director of photography Alik Sakharov (Straw Dogs), writer and producer Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street), writer and producer Frank Renzulli (The Fighter), and actor and writer Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus). The documentary will also include the actors Drea de Matteo (Desperate Housewives), Edie Falco (The Quiet), Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas) and Steve Van Zandt (Lilyhammer). Documented interviews will be with actors Gandolfini, Nancy Marchand (Sabrina) and Tony Sirico (The Godfather).
The first part of WISE GUY: David Chase and The Sopranos will include Chase’s early life in North New Jersey. His passion for filmmaking and his beginning journey into being screenwriter in Los Angeles. and after his accomplished career as a TV writer, Chase wanted to write about his mother to create a show that’s more personal. Although rejected by many networks, Chase landed an HBO pilot about a mobster suffering from mental breakdowns. The casting process for ‘The Sopranos’ begins Dr. Melfi’s actor, Bracco, is the biggest name in the cast. The alleged musician Zandt was cast by Chase as a central role. Falco and Gandolfini were added to the cast as the series began shooting in New Jersey, and the distinctive show became a sensation.
Part two of the documentary goes over the problems of mapping out 13-episode arcs and a balance of darkness and comedy. Nevertheless, he and the writers confess in writing personal experiences to give to the characters. The cast recollects memories of Gandolfini, his genius and kindness and the struggle he had while in the spotlight. Chase discusses the love he has for the character Tony Soprano, and the show’s progression from the pilot to the finale is controversial.
HBO Documentary Films presents WISE GUY: David Chase and The Sopranos directed by Gibney, executively produced by Nicole Lambert (Hancock), Richard Perello (The Slammin’ Salmon), and Stacey Offman (Crazy, Not Insane), produced by Ophelia Harutyunyan (It Takes A Village…) and Gibney. The HBO producers include Lisa Heller (Chimp Crazy), Nancy Abraham (I am evidence) and Sara Rodriguez (The Janes).