John Turturro will replace Robert De Niro in the HBO miniseries Criminal Justice, which was to have starred James Gandolfini.
Robert De Niro replaced James Gandolfini on the drama after the Sopranos veteran’s sudden death in Rome last June.
The seven-part miniseries was thrown briefly into limbo by James Gandolfini’s death, and Robert De Niro would have been one of the most celebrated film actors to turn his attention to the small screen.
John Turturro will replace Robert De Niro in the HBO miniseries Criminal Justice, which was to have starred James Gandolfini
No one has seen Robert De Niro or James Gandolfini in the role – HBO will not air the pilot that was shot with Gandolfini – but audiences will no doubt imagine how the character might have been different as interpreted by the other men.
John Turturro stars in the new film Fading Gigolo, in which he directed a cast that includes himself and Woody Allen.
Criminal Justice is co-written and executive produced by Richard Price and Steven Zaillan. It is based on the BBC series of the same name.
James Gandolfini, who was among Criminal Justice‘s executive producers, will remain posthumously as an executive producer.
The upcoming HBO miniseries Criminal Justice will see Robert De Niro taking over James Gandolfini’s role in the drama.
James Gandolfini died of a heart attack on June 19 during a vacation to Rome. He was found by his 13-year-old son, Michael, who found him unconscious around 10 p.m. on the bathroom floor of the Boscolo Exedra Hotel.
At the time of his death, James Gandolfini had already filmed the pilot for the crime drama, which is based on the BBC series of the same name.
Robert De Niro is taking over James Gandolfini’s role in Criminal Justice
The first five-episode season premiered on June 2008 on BBC One, and the second season premiered on October 5, 2009. The series received positive reviews and won several awards.
Robert De Niro replaces the Sopranos star an ambulance-chasing lawyer named Jack Stone. James Gandolfini will keep a posthumous executive producer credit on the miniseries. The first season of Criminal Justice will be based on the first season of the BBC version, which focused on a man who goes home with a female stranger, wakes up to find her stabbed to death, and is accused of the murder. In the HBO version, now set in New York City, the suspect is Pakistani and is accused of murdering a girl on the Upper West Side. Jack Stone finds himself in over his head when he takes the case.
According to Deadline, it was unclear if HBO would proceed with Criminal Justice after James Gandolfini’s death. But because of his commitment to the project, the network decided to go forward with the series in his honor. The website also said that director Steven Zaillian and HBO set about recasting the role and had only person on their list to replace James Gandolfini: 70-year-old Robert De Niro.
James Gandolfini’s final TV show Criminal Justice is unlikely to be screened, according to HBO.
James Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in June aged 51, had filmed the pilot for Criminal Justice.
James Gandolfini’s final TV show Criminal Justice is unlikely to be screened
Programming president Michael Lombardo said he could not imagine the show airing because James Gandolfini would not continue with the drama.
Criminal Justice, an adaptation of the 2008 BBC series, saw James Gandolfini playing a New York lawyer.
Speaking to The Television Critics Association, Michael Lombardo said it was difficult to think of recasting that part and was unclear what the future was for the project.
The Sopranos star James Gandolfini had also finished two films before he died. Crime film Animal Rescue and the romance Enough Said are still awaiting release.
Enough Said, which also stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Catherine Keener, will have its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
[youtube 76V8rKuLcfk]
