Although James Gandolfini is sadly no longer with us, the upcoming Sopranos prequel movie, THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK, will still have a big connection to the Gandolfini family. As series creator David Chase revealed earlier this month, the film will feature a young Tony Soprano, and now Deadline has reported that Gandofini's son will be taking on the role.
Michael Gandolfini will be playing Tony Soprano in THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK, and Deadline reports that he was chosen after an extensive audition process. According to insiders, Michael Gandolfini's "screen presence, mastery of Tony’s mannerisms, coupled with his resemblance to the elder Gandolfini made him the standout choice for the role because no one there understood the character better." Although Michael doesn't have a ton of credits to his name just yet, he recently made a handful of appearances on HBO's The Deuce as Joey Dwyer. In a statement, Michael Gandolfini said:
It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano. 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 MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK will star Alessandro Nivola (JURASSIC PARK III) as Dickey Moltisanti, the uncle of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) and father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). The film will be set in the era of the Newark riots in the 60s. It was a time when the African-Americans and the Italians of Newark were at each other’s throats, and among the gangsters of each group, those conflicts became especially lethal. Joining Nivola and Gandolfini in the film will be Vera Farmiga (THE CONJURING), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Billy Magnussen (ALADDIN), and Corey Stoll (ANT-MAN).