The Many Saints Of Newark: A Refresher On What You Need To Know Before Watching The Sopranos Prequel Movie

So you woke up this morning and realized the new Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark comes out this week? And it's been so long since you've watched the HBO mob drama, you're worried you won't remember anything? Fuhgeddaboutit: We've got you covered. (After all, we're family.)

Yes, it's been 14 long years since The Sopranos signed off with that famously abrupt cut to black, and now the saga continues with The Many Saints of Newark — debuting this Friday on HBO Max and in theaters — which takes us back to 1960s Newark to find a young Tony Soprano and his family in the midst of a bloody gang war. (Sopranos creator David Chase co-wrote the film, with frequent Sopranos director Alan Taylor behind the camera.) You remember Tony, of course... but how about his father Johnny Boy? Or Dickie Moltisanti? And could some other Sopranos favorites pop up for an encore as well?

We know it's been a while, so we're giving you a quick refresher course on who's who so you'll be ready to fully enjoy The Many Saints of Newark — and catch all of the Sopranos Easter eggs. So slip on your best bathrobe, grab some gabagool and read on as we reintroduce you to the characters you need to know before diving back into Sopranos-land. Salute.

He was the main man on The Sopranos, but in The Many Saints of Newark, Tony is just a wide-eyed teenager and a side character as the previous generation takes center stage. (We do see him being taken under the wing of his beloved "Uncle Dickie" and roughing up a few people in the trailer.) Speaking of family connections, Tony is played here by Michael Gandolfini, the real-life son of James Gandolfini, who starred as Tony in the original Sopranos series. And you can see the resemblance, right?

We never met Dickie on The Sopranos, but we heard a lot about him as Tony's beloved "uncle" (they aren't actually related) and Christopher's father. Here, as played by Alessandro Nivola, he steps into the spotlight, mentoring young Tony in the criminal lifestyle and carrying an explosive temper. Dickie also lends the movie its title, as "Moltisanti" is Italian for "many saints." Christopher makes a cameo appearance, too, as a crying baby. (An adult Christopher serves as narrator as well.)

We saw Tony's mobster dad in a number of flashbacks on The Sopranos, played by the late Joseph Siravo; here, he's played by The Punisher and Walking Dead veteran Jon Bernthal. Back in the '60s, he worked in an organized crime crew that included his brother Uncle Junior, Dickie Moltisanti and Tony's future henchmen Paulie Walnuts, Big Pussy and Silvio Dante, all of whom make appearances in Many Saints.

As played by Dominic Chianese, Tony's bespectacled uncle was a constant thorn in his side (and a pain in his ass) on The Sopranos. In The Many Saints of Newark, he's played by House of Cards and Billions star Corey Stoll. He was already bald back then — and yep, he needed glasses, too.

It's hard to imagine anyone but Nancy Marchand inhabiting Tony's monstrous mother, but if we had to pick someone, Vera Farmiga is an excellent choice. The Bates Motel alum plays the '60s version of Livia in Many Saints, yelling at her son for smoking pot and scoffing at a teacher who tries to tell her Tony has leadership potential. (We can't wait to hear her say "Poor you.")

Before he provided the muscle for Tony's crew, Paulie was Johnny Boy's bodyguard — and he fully lives up to that name in Many Saints, helping Dickie take a power tool to the limbs of a hostile witness in the trailer. Made for Love's Billy Magnussen takes over for Tony Sirico in the prequel... and his hair is still perfectly coiffed.

He was Tony's trusted right-hand man on The Sopranos, played by E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt. In Many Saints, we meet a younger version of Silvio played by Orange Is the New Black's John Magaro.

Tony's plus-sized enforcer (and secret rat) also worked with his dad Johnny Boy, and in Many Saints, Samson Moeakiola takes over the role from The Sopranos' Vincent Pastore. We still don't trust him, though.

Many Saints also incorporates a number of non-Sopranos characters to tell its tale. Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr. plays criminal Harold McBrayer, who wants a bigger piece of the pie than Dickie and company are giving him. Plus, GoodFellas star Ray Liotta returns to the world of mob movies as both Dickie's father and his imprisoned uncle.