James Gandolfini’s son will play a young Tony Soprano in a Sopranos prequel and he’s already looking the part.
The hype is real as the first images of young Tony Soprano have been released in anticipation of the prequel. The Many Saints of Newark will arrive in cinemas next year, thirteen years after The Sopranos‘ infamous finale in 2007. Sopranos fans will undoubtedly be thrilled to see the results of the great casting done here.
Many Saints is shaping up to be true to the original, with Michael Gandolfini cast to play a young Tony. While many auditioned, Michael was selected due to his resemblance to his father and his ability to mimic his mannerisms.
More Sopranos, Sneering and Flared Jeans
The prequel will reportedly focus on tensions between Italian-Americans and African-Americans in 1960s Newark. It will be partially set during the 1967 Newark race riots when, according to HBO, Tony was seven. This raises the question of whether or not multiple actors will play the character through the years.
Michael, 19, has been spotted sporting retro attire whilst filming in New York and is looking like he belongs in the 60s already:
Bloomfield Pulse: A shot of Michael Gandolfini who’s playing as the younger James Gandolfini in the in ‘The Many Saints of Newark’, the prequel to The Sopranos with BPD. @blfdpublicsafe @themanysaintsofnewark #bloomfieldnj #filming @mgandolfini @holstensicecream pic.twitter.com/STtsVFj60P
— Bloomfield Pulse (@BloomfieldPulse) May 20, 2019
This isn’t Michael Gandolfini’s first acting rodeo either, having starred in HBO’s The Deuce last year. In case you’re unfamiliar, The Deuce is another piece set in the mid-to-late 20th Century and will likely help Michael in his retro role.
A Change For The Better?
Still, it could be a jarring change for die-hard Sopranos fans. Young Tony seems a lot more laid back in these photos, sporting a full head of hair and possibly a genuine smile.
First photo of James Gandofini’s son Michael Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in #HBO’s prequel #Sopranos movie #TheManySaintsofNewark pic.twitter.com/hVa9tESqCZ
— Pop Culture Leftovers 🅿️🆑 (@PCLeftovers) May 13, 2019
The idea of a Sopranos prequel isn’t exactly new however. In 2016, director David Chase told Deadline: “I’ve said it from the beginning: if I had a really good idea and I thought it could be really entertaining and it wouldn’t upset what was done I might do it.” At least you can be sure that the film is in good hands, being managed by a lot of the original cast and crew.
Yet if the news of a Sopranos prequel film is unfamiliar to you, maybe you should go back and check out this article. It’ll give you everything you need to catch up.
