James Gandolfini's Son Cast as Tony Soprano in SOPRANOS Prequel

The son of the late James Gandolfini, Michael Gandolfini, will play the young Tony Soprano in "The Sopranos" prequel movie, according to Variety.

"It's a profound honor to continue my dad's legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano," Gandolfini said. "I'm thrilled that I am 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 be directed by Alan Taylor for New Line. The film's cast includes Cory Stoll, Billy Magnussen, Jon Bernthal, Alessandro Nivola, and Vera Farmiga.

The prequel will be set during the Newark riots in July, 1967, when the acrimony between African-Americans and Italian-Americans became lethal as 26 people died and hundreds were injured in New Jersey's largest city.

"The Sopranos" creator David Chase co-wrote the film's script with producer Lawrence Konner. Nicole Lambert and Marcus Viscidi are executive producing.

James Gandolfini originated the role of Tony Soprano on the 1999 HBO series, which ran for six seasons. The series explored the dynamics of the fictional head of a New Jersey-based crime family, starting with his attempting to deal with panic attacks by seeing a psychiatrist.

Read the original article on Variety.

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