James Gandolfini’s Son Michael Will Play the Iconic Tony Soprano in the Film Prequel

Good news, Sopranos fans! The TV show’s creator David Chase has finally cast his Tony Soprano for the prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark.

Deadline reports it’s none other than—wait for it—Michael Gandolfini. He’s the son of the late James Gandolfini, who originally played the organized crime family boss in the hit HBO series. The actor sadly passed away in 2013.

“It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano,” the 19-year-old actor tells Deadline exclusively.

“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.”

As for the rest of the “incredible company of talent” he’s talking about? Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga and Billy Magnussen will star in the movie. Alan Taylor is set to direct the New Line film.

Unlike the original HBO series, the prequel will take place in the ‘60s during the Newark riots, an era when African Americans and Italians were fighting.

So how does Tony Soprano fit into all of this?

We’ll get a glimpse into how he became a gangster. Deadline reveals it will focus on Richard “Dickie” Moltisanti (played by Nivola) who mentors a young Tony and how his father, Johnny Boy, leads him to a path of organized crime.

The news of the 19-year-old actor’s casting comes off the heels of The Sopranos 20th anniversary, which was on Jan. 10.

Many of the cast members gathered in New York for a reunion. Jamie-Lynn Sigler andEdie Falco were among them. 

Michael took to Instagram to share pictures of his night, writing, “Damn I’m lucky that I got to grow up around these people. What a beautiful reunion. Big love all around.”

He was posing next to Jamie-Lynn, Robert Iler and Tony Sirico. 

Considering Gandolfini won multiple awards for his role as Tony Soprano, it will be interesting to see where this role takes his son, Michael. 

As of right now, there is no release date for the prequel. In the meantime, we’ll be re-watching the HBO series.