Fans of The Sopranos have more to look forward to with David Chase’s prequel film The Many Saints of Newark. Deadline brings word that Chase and company have filled the role of a young Tony Soprano and it is none other than Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James Gandolfini who originated the role in HBO’s breakout series.
The younger Gandolfini has begun an acting career of his own lately, recently starring in HBO’s The Deuce. The team behind the prequel went through extensive auditions for the role of young Tony, but settled on Gandolfini due to his screen presence and incredible resemblance to his father.
“It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano,” Gandolfini told Deadline. “I’m thrilled that I’m going to have the opportunity to work with David Chase and the incredible company of talent he has assembled for The Many Saints of Newark.”
The cast of The Many Saints of Newark has been growing as of late. Gandolfini joins Jon Bernthal (The Punisher) Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), Corey Stoll (The Strain), Billy Magnussen (Game Night) and Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience) in the prequel.
Details on the new additions’ characters are being kept tightly under wraps, and all we know so far is that Nivola is playing Dickie Moltisanti, the uncle of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), who along with Tony’s father Giovanni ‘Johnny Boy’ Soprano and Corrado ‘Junior’ Soprano – was key figure in helping to turn their small gang into a successful crime family.
The Many Saints of Newark is being written by The Sopranos creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner (Boardwalk Empire), and has Alan Taylor – who won an Emmy for his work on the episode ‘Kennedy and Heidi – attached to direct.
