Casting has been underway on Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints Of Newark for a while. But for the most direct connective tissue between the show and the movie that chronicles events years in its past, creator David Chase has gone with an emotional casting choice. Michael Gandolfini, the son of the late James Gandolfini, will play his father's iconic role of Tony Soprano at a younger age.
And lest you think this was simply handed to the younger Gandolfini because of his family connection and resemblance, Chase and the producers undertook an extensive search and then put the young actor, whose biggest role to date has been on The Deuce, through a grueling audition process to make sure he was the right choice. "It’s a profound honour to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano," Gandolfini said in a statement to 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."
Saints promises to be an ensemble drama that is set in the era of the ’60s Newark riots, when African Americans and Italians were at each others' throats. It was especially lethal among gangsters from each group. The story focuses on Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), a mentor to young Tony as his own father, Johnny Boy, was grooming his son a pathway to organized crime prominence.
Chase wrote the script with Lawrence Konner, and veteran Sopranos director Alan Taylor will call the shots. Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen, Vera Farmiga and Corey Stoll are also among the cast for the film, which has yet to lock down a release date.
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