A Young Tony Soprano Will Keep It in "The Family"

If you weren't already excited at the casting of Vera Farmiga and Jon Bernthal in undisclosed roles, maybe the casting of Tony Soprano will get your heart racing: James Gandolfini's son, Michael Gandolfini, has been cast as a young Tony Soprano in the upcoming Sopranos movie on HBO. 

The young Gandolfini told Variety, “It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano. 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.”

First off, great title. 

I am incredibly excited to see what David Chase put together as the beginning of this crime family's story. Alan Taylor will direct the movie, which takes place during the race riots of the 1960s in Newark, New Jersey. 

Cory Stoll and Billy Magnussen were cast recently, rounding out the star-studded endeavor, but Michael Gandolfini seems like he has the biggest shoes to fill. His father won a Golden Globe and three Emmy awards for portraying Tony Soprano. So the pressure is on!

I am cautiously optimistic about Chase returning to the world of organized crime. It's hard not to get worried that he's messing with a great thing, but I have faith. Plus, I have always been interested in the Tony and Dickie backstory. Was it really a cop who off'ed Christopher's dad? And how does Carmela play into all this? I guess we have to wait to see. 

Michael Gandolfini recently appeared as Joey Dwyer in HBO’s The Deuce, so HBO must be confident in his ability to follow in his father's footsteps.

Are you excited for The Sopranos prequel? Let us know in the comments below.