‘Yellowjackets’ Showrunners Cite Tony Soprano as an Inspiration: ‘That’s What We’re Aiming for’

Long live the legacy of Tony Soprano.The titular mob boss of HBO’s “The Sopranos” has been a cited influence on everything from “Better Call Saul” to “Avatar: The Way of Water,” but the particular breed of beloved antihero that Tony embodies marks a direct inspiration for “Yellowjackets” Season 2.Creators and co-showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson discussed how humanizing the cannibalism, murder, and trauma endured by the core “Yellowjackets” characters, played by Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci, and Juliette Lewis, has roots to Tony himself.“Tony Soprano is an absolute monster — but, because he’s so well drawn, you understand him.

That’s what we’re aiming for,” Lyle told The Hollywood Reporter.

“We have conversations about what could be too far, but it’s less about likability for the characters and more about the type of story.

We never want to be shocking and salacious for the sheer joy of it.

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