Young Tony Soprano to be played by James Gandolfini's son

Seemingly the perfect actor has been cast in the lead role of the Sopranos prequel - none other than the son of the late James Gandolfini himself.

Michael Gandolfini, 19, will play Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark.

"It's a profound honour to continue my dad's legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano," Gandolfini said in a statement given to Deadline.

The teen has previously starred in HBO's The Deuce.

Written by The Sopranos creator David Chase and Sopranos writer Lawrence Konner, the prequel film will be set amid the riots of New Jersey in the 1960s, which broke out as a result of tensions flaring between the city's black and Italian residents.

Alongside Michael Gandolfini, The Many Saints of Newark will also star Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen, and Corey Stoll.

James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano in the acclaimed HBO series from 1999 to 2007.

He died suddenly in 2013, at the age of 51, of a heart attack.

Newshub.

Michael Gandolfini, 19, will portray Tony Soprano - the role made famous by his late father James Gandolfini - in a Sopranos prequel movie.
Photo credit: Getty