THE SON OF the late James Gandolfini has been cast as Tony Soprano in a new prequel film.

Michael Gandolfini said he was “honoured” to take up the role in the movie which will see him play a younger version of the character his father played in the acclaimed series The Sopranos. 

In a statement, Gandolfini said: “It’s a profound honour to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano. 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.

New Line Cinema studio — a film production label of Warner Bros — has bought the rights to the screenplay The Many Saints of Newark, written by Sopranos creator David Chase and television and cinema screenwriter Lawrence Konner.

The prequel’s plot transports viewers to 1960s New Jersey, the era of the Newark riots which saw clashes between the city’s black and Italian communities — and the gangsters within each group.

Broadcast between 1999 and 2007 on the US cable network HBO, The Sopranos marked, in the view of experts, the beginning of a golden age for television series with its dark humour and complex characters.

The series, which ran for six seasons with 86 episodes, was awarded 21 Emmy Awards and five Golden Globes. 

Star James Gandolfini – who played troubled mob boss Tony Soprano — died of a heart attack in 2013.

With reporting by © – AFP 2019