James Gandolfini's son cast as young Tony for Sopranos prequel

The son of James Gandolfini has been cast as the young Tony Soprano in the planned Sopranosprequel, The Many Saints of Newark.

Michael Gandolfini will play a younger version of the iconic character his late father played on the HBO series.

The 19-year-old actor has had a recurring role on HBO's The Deuce.

Gandolfini said in a statement it's "a profound honour to continue my dad's legacy." James Gandolfini died of a heart attack at the age of 51 in 2013.

Sopranoscreator David Chase is producer and screenwriter for the New Line production.

Alan Taylor, who directed several episodes of TheSopranosand 2013's Thor: The Dark World,is set to direct.

The Sopranosrecently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its 1999 debut.