If the resemblance to James Gandolfini and the latest actor to join The Sopranos prequel film is too uncanny to ignore, it’s for a good reason. Deadline reports Gandolfini’s son, Michael, has been cast to play a young Tony Soprano.
Series creator David Chase has kept it in the family, casting Michael Gandolfini to play young Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark. The decision was apparently made after a “long audition process.” Gandolfini joins a cast that includes Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Billy Magnussen, and Corey Stoll. He’s previously appeared in a handful of episodes of HBO series The Deuce.
“It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano,” Michael Gandolfini said in a statement. “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 takes place in the 1960s during the tumultuous, racially-charged Newark riots, and centers on Dickie Moltisanti (Nivola), Tony Soprano’s mentor and the man who helped build their crime family.
