Nivola stars in Sopranos prequel

The star of the upcoming NEW YORK The Sopranos prequel says a young Tony Soprano will be a part of the film — but had good reason to be careful about how much else he revealed about The Many Saints of Newark.

Alessandro Nivola spoke about the project on the red carpet Wednesday before a panel discussion led by creator David Chase to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Sopranos in New York.

“I guess I got to be kind of discreet about it, so David Chase doesn’t kill me,” Nivola said. “I’m playing Dickie Moltisanti, who is the central character in the movie, and he is Christopher Moltisanti’s dad.”

Christopher Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli in the series, was a protege of Tony Soprano, the New Jersey mob boss portrayed by James Gandolfini.

Though the elder Moltisanti never appeared in the series, he is often mentioned as part of Christopher’s backstory. The father was gunned down when Christopher was young, and Nivola said the film will explore the interlocking history of Dickie Moltisanti and the Sopranos.

“Tony will be a character in the film, and as was mentioned throughout The Sopranos series, my character was an important person in his life, and it examines that relationship as well,” Nivola said.

The Many Saints of Newark begins shooting in April.