The Sopranos Creator Returning to HBO After 18 Years With New Show Based on the Same True Story as Stranger Things

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It’s been over twenty years since The Sopranos ended its run, and honestly, it’s still the show everyone points to as the one that changed television. Many consider it the most important American TV series of the last thirty years, and maybe of all time. What’s always struck me is that despite all the praise and its now-iconic status, creator David Chase largely stayed away from TV after that. He’s directed some films and even gave us the Sopranos prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, but hadn’t returned to the small screen since 2007… until now.

David Chase, best known for The Sopranos, is returning to HBO with a new television series – his first in nearly 20 years. The show will be a limited series focusing on the CIA’s controversial MKUltra project. MKUltra was a secret program where the CIA experimented with psychedelic drugs and other techniques to try and control or weaken people during interrogations. Those familiar with the show Stranger Things may recognize the subject matter, as it served as inspiration for that series.

The Sopranos Creator Returns to TV for an MKUltra Limited Series

Chase is developing a new TV series based on John Lisle’s book, Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKUltra. Chase will write the series, which is described as a dramatic thriller. The show will center around Sidney Gottlieb, the leader of the controversial MKUltra program and the person who authorized its often-unethical experiments, including some conducted on unsuspecting individuals.

For years, TV shows and movies have drawn inspiration from aspects of the MKUltra program, particularly its use of drugs like LSD on people without their knowledge. However, the full scope of Dr. Gottlieb’s work at the CIA and the far-reaching consequences of MKUltra remain largely unknown. This includes his involvement in government-approved attempts at assassination.

The popular show Stranger Things drew inspiration from the real-life MKUltra program, using it as a foundation for its storyline. In the show, Eleven is the daughter of someone who was part of the MKUltra experiments, which is suggested to be the reason for her powers. While MKUltra didn’t actually involve alternate dimensions like the Upside Down, it’s interesting to note that both Stranger Things and a new series by the creator of The Sopranos started with this same true story.

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2025-10-23 19:40