Shraman Mitra
Spearheaded by director Alan Taylor, ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is a thrilling prequel to the TV series ‘The Sopranos.’ The period drama brilliantly portrays the severe tensions between African-Americans and Italian-Americans against the backdrop of 1960s to 1970s New Jersey. Starring outstanding talents like Michael Gandolfini, Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jon Bernthal, the film promises to be a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seats until the final credits.
Set in the gritty and riot-ravaged city of Newark, ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ revolves around the 1967 Newark riots. Thus, the filming crew had to go to great lengths to stay as authentic to history as possible. The diverse backdrops in the movie are equally awe-inspiring as it excellently captures the emotions running through the city in the 1960s and transports the audience back in time. If watching the film makes you curious to know more about the locations used for shooting, we have you covered!
The Many Saints of Newark Filming Locations
‘The Many Saints of Newark’ was primarily filmed in New York and New Jersey. Filming for the period drama began in April 2019 and was wound up by June 2019. However, the filming crew had to return in September 2020 for reshoots. In their efforts to remain faithful to history, the filming crew even used archival photographs from the 1967 Newark riots and brought in a retired Newark police officer as a technical advisor. Let’s take a detailed look at each filming location, shall we?
New York City, New York
According to sources, the filming crew for ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ primarily utilized numerous indoor and outdoor locations in and around Brooklyn. A Danish sports club in the borough doubles as Dickie Moltisanti’s nightclub cum base of operations. Furthermore, with Newark neighborhoods being too modern to fit into the film’s setting, several external scenes had to be shot in New York City. Thus, several outdoor sets were created from the Bronx to Bay Ridge as the streets of New York double up as Newark neighborhoods straight from the 60s for this movie.
The popularity of New York as a city and a filming location is common knowledge. With a dazzling skyline and several important landmarks, including the Manhattan Bridge, Empire State Building, Central Park, and Statue of Liberty, New York gives filming crews a level of freedom unparalleled by most. Thus, it is no surprise that New York has played host to filming crews for movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘Gemini Man,’ and ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’ Additionally, the filming crew also shot sequences in different parts of the state of New York. This includes The Barley Beach House in Rye and Park Hill and School Street in the city of Yonkers.
Newark, New Jersey
With most of the film set in Newark, a majority of scenes were shot in the city. The film even features a few well-known landmarks that audiences can easily identify. The scenes of the riots were challenging yet fun to shoot as the production team had to pour through numerous photographs and archived footage to get a grasp of the event. Ultimately, Branford Place in Newark was given a new 1960s look, complete with old neon signs, 1960s era storefronts, and even a replica of the Adams Theatre. The retro look made the neighborhood stand out and turned it into the perfect backdrop to film the 1967 Newark riots.
Other Places in New Jersey
In addition to Newark, the filming crew also filmed in several places lying in close proximity to the city. Additional filming locations for ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ comprise Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionery in Bloomfield, Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights, and a few locations in the city of Passaic in New Jersey. Moreover, the famous Satriale’s Pork Store was recreated in a building in Paterson.
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