David Chase’s The Sopranos Prequel Film Finds its Star

David Chase’s The Sopranos prequel film has found its first star in Disobedience’s Alessandro Nivola, per THR. Nivola also confirmed the news on Twitter.

They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse… https://t.co/OMF9fw0qaW

— Alessandro Nivola (@SandroNivola) November 21, 2018

Nivola will play Dickey Moltisanti, the beloved late uncle of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who was murdered before the events of the original series. In the series, Dickey is also the father of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), and is mentioned as part of the trio, along with Tony’s father and Uncle Junior, who helped turn their small gang into a leading New Jersey crime family. Childless himself, Dickey served as a mentor to a teenage Tony Soprano, although he didn’t appear in the original series. The prequel film will follow what happens when Dickey falls in love with his father’s much younger bride, a recent immigrant from Italy.

Several characters from the original series are also expected to appear in the forthcoming prequel film, which is moving ahead under the working title The Many Saints of Newark.

As we reported in March, series creator Chase co-wrote the prequel film with film and TV veteran Lawrence Konner, and is also producing. The Many Saints of Newark comes from New Line and director Alan Taylor, who also helmed nine episodes of the groundbreaking HBO series. The Sopranos helped put the premium-cable network on the map, and also landed on Paste’s list of its best series of all time earlier this year.

Plot details are still being kept under wraps on The Many Saints of Newark, although we know that it’s set during the 1960s Newark riots.

Stay tuned for more updates on The Many Saints of Newark.