Over the years, whenever one of the long lulls between seasons of The Sopranos would finally draw to a close, creator David Chase would emerge from the back room of the Bada Bing and entertain a few questions about the upcoming episodes. After jotting down a few of his substance-free replies, one enterprising reporter or another would ask whether or not this was the end of The Sopranos, for real this time. At which point Chase would make it perfectly clear that what he really wanted to do was direct. Direct movies.
This comment was usually accompanied by some remarks about the base nature of the television medium, how impossible it was to do good work in it, and how movies were really where it was at. Remarks which left us fans of the series dumbfounded. Had Chase no inkling that The Sopranos was head and shoulders above 99% of what was released to theaters while it was on the air? Did he truly think there were more than five people on the planet who had more creative freedom than he enjoyed in his years with HBO? Did he never hear the phrase - on his own television show, even - "Be careful what you wish for"?
Well, now Chase is getting what he wished for. Reuters reports that Chase has signed to write, direct and produce his first feature film for Paramount Pictures. In line with his usual forthcoming manner, a spokesman describes the project as "an original drama." And cutting any speculation off at the pass, it will not be a big-screen version of The Sopranos.
So now we'll see if Chase is able to go about his business with no outside interference and if the world of movies is really more fulfilling than his years with the Jersey mob. One hopeful sign: Paramount Pictures is run by Brad Grey, the longtime Sopranos producer. "David is one of the great storytellers of our time, and his debut as a filmmaker is both highly anticipated and long overdue," says Grey. I agree. But if Chase eventually decides to return to television, it wouldn't be any crime.
