They Made Him an Offer He Couldn’t Refuse! Michael Gandolfini to Play Young Tony in the ‘Sopranos’ Prequel

It seems The Sopranos is kind of like the mob itself: once you’re in, it’s tough to get out. Well, the HBO series has been all over the news as of late, first for the fact that the show has celebrated its 20th Anniversary. And, in some ways, more importantly, the fact that the saga is going to be continuing, although to do so it’s looking backward. Production is gearing up for the big-screen prequel, The Many Saints of Newark, and now comes word that son of the late James Gandolfini, Michael Gandolfini, is going to be playing the younger version of his father’s role, Tony Soprano.

In a statement to Deadline, Michael, 19, 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 [series creator] David Chase and the incredible company of talent he has assembled for The Many Saints of Newark.”

It will be interesting to see if Michael can bring the kind of presence to the big screen as Tony Soprano that his father did to the small. In the film, we know that Alessandro Nivola will be playing the father of Christopher Moltisanti’s father, Dickie. Other cast members include Vera Farmiga and Jon Bernthal. Directing is Alan Taylor, who has directed episodes of Game of Thrones and the Marvel superhero film Thor: The Dark World, as well as the fifth Terminator movie, Genisys.

As reported by Indiewire, David Chase explained, “I was interested in Newark and life in Newark at that time. I used to go down there every Saturday night for dinner with my grandparents. But the thing that interested me most was Tony’s boyhood. I was interested in exploring that … The movie will deal with the tensions between the blacks and whites at the time, and Tony Soprano will be part of this, but as a kid.”