The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli has ruled out any possibility of a reboot of the iconic HBO series, but believes there could be potential to explore his character Christopher Moltisanti in a spin-off film.
The series, which debuted in 1999, followed Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a mobster trying to balance his duties as head of the Soprano crime family with his real family.
Following the conclusion of the sixth season of the acclaimed drama, series creator David Price expanded the story into a feature-length film with The Many Saints of Newark, which explored Tony’s childhood.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Imperioli, 58, admitted he would be interested to see a similar exploration of his character’s own upbringing from when he was “a baby” on the project.
“When I watched ‘Many Saints,’ it really made me think about why Christopher turned out the way he did, because he didn’t have a father,” he began.
The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli has dashed any hopes of a reboot of the iconic HBO series.
“I thought (his father) Dickie Moltisanti was a very interesting character. He was a mobster, but he could have been a very good father.
“Maybe Christopher would have been different if he had had that influence in his life. Watching him grow up could be really fascinating.”
The actor, who has been executive producer of the new documentary series, The American Godfathers: The Five Families – starred in all six seasons of the hit series and also helped write five episodes of the show.
Although fans continue to yearn for a return to the world of the Soprano family, Michael stressed that, for now, there are no plans.
“I haven’t heard any stories or any rumors about another Soprano project,” he said, adding, “Unfortunately.”
The Sopranos debuted on January 10, 1999, which many consider to be the beginning of the new “Golden Age” of television.
The show also starred Lorraine Bracco as Tony’s therapist, Jennifer Melfi, Drea De Matteo as Adriana La Cerva, and Steven Van Zandt as Silvio Dante.
The hit series won 21 Emmy Awards, including two for Outstanding Drama Series, for which it was nominated in every season.
However, the actor believes there could be an opportunity to further explore his character, Christopher Moltisanti, in a spin-off feature film (pictured with co-star Drea de Matteo).
The series followed Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini, center), a mobster trying to balance his duties as head of the Soprano crime family with his real family.
It was also the first cable series to be nominated for Best Drama Series, and was named the best television show of all time by magazines such as Rolling Stone and TV Guide.
Imperioli has been best known for his role in the drama and his role as Spider in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, but has enjoyed recent success in the second season of The White Lotus.
He played Dominic Di Grasso, a Hollywood producer on a family trip to Italy with his son and father.
And his celebrated performance earned him a nomination for the 2023 Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor.
However, she confirmed that she would not be signing on again for the third season, which is being filmed in Thailand.
“I hope there’s a season where I can come back somewhere,” the actor said. “I was hoping it would be season three, but that didn’t happen.”
The Basketball Diaries star expressed his excitement to see what happens with the new cast of characters alongside fans, continuing: “One of my favorite actors, Parker Posey, is in it. Yeah, she’s amazing. I think she’s a great White Lotus. I’m sure it’s going to be great.”
Imperioli and other cast members reunited for the 25th anniversary celebration during the Tribeca Film Festival in June.
The actor also confirmed that he would not be returning for the third season of The White Lotus, production of which has already begun in Thailand.
He said he was surprised to see the impact his role in The White Lotus had on his fan base, admitting that he now seems to have found popularity among a “younger generation”.
“I’m getting a younger audience,” the star said. “For me, the majority of White Lotus fans are women, but there is also a younger generation.”
Expressing her delight at the affair, she continued: “It’s very exciting, especially because it’s something I really loved and the material was really rich and fun and suspenseful and weird and all that stuff.”
Now the star has returned somewhat to his television roots after serving as executive producer and narrator of American Godfathers: The Five Families.
The three-part, six-hour documentary series explores the rise, rise and fall of the five New York City mob families who over a period of more than 50 years were involved in every facet of organized crime in the United States, from bootlegging and drug trafficking to extortion and gambling.
Based on Selwyn Raab’s best-selling book, Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires, the investigation also uses archival footage, film, audio recordings and re-enactments to give viewers an inside look at the workings of the most powerful criminal organization of the 20th century.
American Godfathers: The Five Families continues tonight, August 8, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on The History Channel
