Sopranos Season 5? Fuhgeddaboutit!

[John Corn]

Tony Soprano wants out of HBO contract (http://www.azcentral.com/ent/calendar/articles/0307sopranos-CR.html)

Reuters
Mar. 7, 2003 09:44 AM

NEW YORK - Fans of HBO's popular drama "The Sopranos'' may have to fuhgeddabout a fifth season after James Gandolfini, the actor who plays the family patriarch, filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking a release from his contract...


He gets offed in the season opener. Thats what I say.

[RandyAB]

I like when actors get to big for the roles that made them famous. Once he leaves his role as Tony Soprano, it will be hard to find him cast in any other role besides gangsters or badd asses. And pretty soon people will get tired of seeing him at all. Bye Bye Career!

[BobMurdoch]

Shelley Long syndrome strikes again........

(She left Cheers in its prime and helped make Kirstie Alley who replaced her famous for those that don't get the reference)

My gut feeling is that this is just a negotiating tactic to cash in while he can. Name one movie or show that he has scored a hit with in his considerable off season from the Sopranos. He is never going to have a gig which showers him with this much critical and commercial acclaim in his life after the show runs its course.

[gcutler]

Especially with the show only be 13 week series (unless they upped the # of episodes)...it isn't like the people from other shows who with 24 episodes a year and holidays there is only a few weeks to do movies. It would be pretty stupid for him to leave a Hit Show that gives him as much freedom the other 39 weeks of the year.

But I agree it is bargaining ploy.

[jrjcd]

actually, it's the pernell roberts syndrome(if you don't know who pernell roberts is, then i rest my case...lol)

[gcutler]

Wasn't he on "Trapper John, MD" (which the guy who Played Trapper John on Mash may be another example to Syndrome.)

[jrjcd]

he was, but the reason the syndrome is called the pernell roberts syndrome is that aboiut twenty years earlier he walked away from bonanza-he played eldest son adam-after his five year contract was up-of course, michael landon, lorne greene and dan blocker(and his heirs) all became rich from the show after the initial five year run, as bonanza became one of the longest running westerns and dramas in history, eclipsed by gunsmoke. Roberst went on to a career of playing dinner theatres and guest shots on shows that were probably lousier than his memories of bonanza was and eventually landed on trapper john MD when wayne rodgers blaked at doing the role. The trapper john series actually did more for the (at the time) fledgling career of gregory harrison than it did for roberts and now he lives semi retired somewhere in california, by an ironic twist, the only surviving original cast member of bonanza...

[Richard King]

when wayne rodgers balked at doing the role. Who has since gone on to a career in the financial world as a "respected" portfolio manager, making frequent appearances on the Fox News Channel Saturday morning financial programs.

[Richard King]

HBO Files $100 Million Suit Against 'Sopranos' Star
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=638&u=/nm/20030311/en_nm/media_sopranos_dc&printer=1

It appears that the separation is not too friendly. :lol:

[Ryan]

I don't think he wants out of the show (probably the last season anyway), but wants the contract declared null and void since HBO failed to uphold some part of their end.

Then negotiations will need to start from scratch again. It's all about the $$$. And I do think he has a point in regards to compensation compared to other megastars and megashows. The Sopranos is obviously the biggest off-network (can't bring myself to call it cable)series ever. Biggest ratings, biggest buzz, biggest clout.

Oh, and The Mexican was pretty good.

[Geronimo]

I understand HBO notified cast and crew that production has been postponed. Sorry I do not have alink.

[chawk80]

Here is a link to the suspension

http://www.pagesix.com/celebritynews/32113.htm

It's time to bring Furio back from Italy.

[jrjcd]

actors who get too big for their britches(pretty sizable in this case) and who don't honor their contracts shouldn't be allowed to work; certainly not kowtowed to-if this is the last season, i would love to see what gandolfini will be doing in three years....lol

old stars don't fade away-they just end up on retrospective award shows like the one on TV Land last night...

[Ryan]

Why should an actor have to honor their contract and HBO not?

No show lasts forever. I seem to recall many people complaining that The Sopranos had lost its edge and had 'jumped the shark' anyway.

Either way the show's going to come to an end, probably sooner rather than later.