EXCLUSIVE: Michael Gandolfini has joined the ensemble cast of the upcoming untitled event pic from filmmaking duo Daniels at Universal. Matt Damon is on board to star. Daniels, aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, will write and direct. Sandra Oh, Sean Kaufman and Charles Melton are also on board.
Universal had no comment on the casting.
Details on the project remain under wraps. Kwan, Scheinert and Jonathan Wang will produce through their company Playgrounds’ overall deal with Universal. Playgrounds’ Kwan and Wang recently produced The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist from Universal’s specialty studio Focus Features. It bowed in March.
Gandolfini had tested for some of the younger roles in the film that are essentially leading the project but was ultimately deemed too old for the role. The Daniels walked away so impressed with his audition that they would end up offering him another part in the project instead.
Executive VP Production Development Sara Scott and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the Daniels’ new project for Universal.
Gandolfini was most recently seen reprising his role in season two of the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. He was also recently seen in the Alex Gardland and Ray Mendoza A24 war pic Warfare.
He is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment.
