Alessandro Nivola is in talks to play Dickie Moltisanti, the late father of Christopher Moltisanti and cousin of Carmela Soprano in New Line‘s upcoming Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark which is set during the 1960s.
The late James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano on the HBO series, while Michael Imperioli played Christopher. The character of Dickie never appeared on the HBO series and was whacked before the drama’s timeline. His legend hangs large as a pivotal member, along with Tony and Uncle Junior, as someone who transformed the family into one to be reckoned with in the Tri-State area.
Dickie Moltisanti is a charismatic but violent made man who falls in love with his own father’s much-younger bride, a recent immigrant from Italy. Meanwhile, the childless Moltisanti does his best to mentor a teenage Tony Soprano, the son of a family friend who’s serving a multiyear prison sentence.
Nivola stars in the indie feature Weightless and is up for Best Supporting Actor at the British Independent Film Awards for his performance in Sebastian Lelio’s Disobedience.
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Alan Taylor is directing the pic from a screenplay by Sopranos creator David Chase and Lawrence Konner. Chase is also producing.
Variety first reported the news. Deadline confirmed.
