David Chase, the creator of the acclaimed HBO series "The Sopranos," has voiced concerns that political censorship could be a looming threat in Hollywood under a potential Donald Trump presidency. Chase suggested that such restrictions could be "a hop, skip and a jump away."
Chase's remarks came during an interview with Variety at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where he was discussing his upcoming projects. These include an HBO series titled "Project: MKUltra," which delves into the CIA's Cold War-era mind control program, and a separate independent film centered on the drug LSD.
He stated that his apprehension is not primarily about online backlash from conspiracy theorists or conservative commentators, but rather about a future where artists face direct political limitations on their work. Chase confirmed his fears align with concerns about a modern-day Hays Code, the historical Hollywood censorship system that imposed strict moral and content guidelines on filmmaking.
"I used to work on network television, and you couldn’t have a person burp on camera, you couldn’t show the toilet bowl, the gun going off, the person getting shot," Chase recalled, drawing a parallel to past era of television regulations. "It was rules, rules, rules. And those are minor things. When you get to the political stuff, that concerns me."
Chase's comments emerge as he also works on a feature film about LSD, which he described as focusing on "a young woman" who is a college DJ. This would mark his first directorial feature since the 2012 drama "Not Fade Away." He also co-wrote and produced the 2021 "Sopranos" prequel film, "The Many Saints of Newark."
Meanwhile, Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna leads a House panel that is investigating the CIA's MKUltra program, the subject of Chase's new HBO series.