NEW YORK — Tony Soprano, the best-known role of the late James Gandolfini, will live again on the screen thanks to Gandolfini's son.
Michael Gandolfini will step into his father's acting shoes in the prequel movie to the television series “The Sopranos.” He'll play the role of a young Tony in “The Many Saints of Newark," Variety reported.
“The Many Saints of Newark" will focus on tensions between the New Jersey city’s African-American and Italian communities.
“It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano,” Gandolfini said, according to Variety. “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.’”
Michael Gandolfini joins Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen, Vera Farmiga, Corey Stoll and Alessandro Nivola.
“The Sopranos” ran from 1999 – 2007 on HBO. The crime drama won more than 20 Emmys, five Golden Globes and two Peabody Awards.
Some of the show’s original characters will reportedly be featured in the film.
James Gandolfini died in June 2013 in Rome, where he was visiting with his family. Michael, then 13, reportedly found his father unconscious. James Gandolfini was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead of a heart attack soon afterward.