James Gandolfini’s Son Michael Shares Incredible Resemblance to Dad in ‘Sopranos’ Prequel Footage

James Gandolfini’s son Michael is playing the young version of his father, Tony Soprano, in the upcoming Sopranos prequel movie, and new footage from the film revealed the young Gandolfini’s incredible resemblance to his dad. A brief shot of the film, titled The Many Saints of Newark, is shown in a new trailer that HBO released promoting all the upcoming Warner Bros. movies that will release on the streaming service the same day as they hit theaters. Michael can be seen with long hair and a fur-lined denim jacket. The stare he delivers is deeply menacing and quite reminiscent of his late father.

Sadly, Gandolfini passed away on June 19, 2013, at the age of 51. He was in Rome with his family, and it was young Michael who tragically discovered his father unconscious on the bathroom floor of the hotel they had been staying in. After being transported to the hospital, Gandolfini was pronounced dead. An autopsy was done to determine the cause of death, and the coroner found that Gandolfini had suffered a heart attack. Michael was only 14 years old at the time. A funeral was held on June 27 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City, with Gandolfini then being cremated and his ashes given to his family.

The Many Saints of Newark was co-written and produced by Sopranos creator David Chase and is directed by Alan Taylor. The film had moved release dates a few times and is currently scheduled to be released on Sept. 24. It was initially set to open in theaters in 2020 but was moved to March 2021, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was moved again, this month, to its new fall premiere date.

Following the initial casting announcement, Michael issued a statement to Deadline, expressing how excited he was to continue in his father’s shoes. “It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano.” He added, “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.” Additional stars of the new film include Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Billy Magnussen, Ray Liotta, and Vera Farmiga.