James Gandolfini's son, Michael Gandolfini, is filling the shoes of much a younger Tony Soprano—and we're doing a serious double take.
More than a decade after fans bid farewell to James's iconic character in The Sopranos, Warner Bros. Pictures is releasing a prequel called The Many Saints of Newark—and we've already got a sneak peek of the upcoming film.
Michael appears at the 20-second mark of the promo video, when a voice says "Antonio Soprano." In the tension-filled clip, the 21-year-old actor embodies Tony, who gives a menacing look before pouncing on another character.
It's hard to miss the uncanny resemblance between Michael and his late father, but of course, it's clear that Michael inherited more than his father's genes. Judging by his impressive performance in the short promo clip, stellar acting skills run in the family.
While speaking with Esquire, Michael revealed that stepping into his father's role was a challenge for him. He revealed, "The hardest part of this whole process was watching the show for the first time. It was an intense process. Because, as an actor, I had to watch this guy who created the role, to look for mannerisms, voice, all those things I would have to echo. But then I’d also be seeing my father."
He continued, "I think what made it so hard was I had to do it alone. I was just sitting alone in my dark apartment, watching my dad all the time.”
The Many Saints of Newark will follow Tony Soprano during his younger years and, according to Deadline, it will "provide an entry point into a look at the mob’s origins in the turbulence of racial tensions between African Americans and Italian Americans in Newark, NJ.” In addition to Michael, the film will also star Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., Corey Stoll and Billy Magnussen.
The prequel won't be released until Sept. 24, but until then, we'll be binge-watching old episodes of The Sopranos.
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