The Sopranos creator David Chase has said he is considering writing a prequel to the mob drama

THE Sopranos creator David Chase has flagged his interest in a prequel to the mob drama and spilled on who almost won the role of Tony Soprano.

21/11/2002 PIRATE: Scene from from TV program "The Sopranos". /TV/programs/Titles/Sopranos

THE Sopranos creator David Chase has flagged his interest in a prequel to the mob drama but warned fans to expect it to be very different.

The 69-year old producer says he wouldn’t mind exploring the era before the show began.

“Even if I did it, it wouldn’t be The Sopranos that was on the air — obviously at least one person is gone that we would need,” he says, referring to the late James Gandolfini, who played mob patriarch Tony Soprano.

“There are a couple of eras that would be interesting for me to talk about, about Newark, New Jersey.

“One would be (the) late 60s, early 70s, about all the racial animosity, or the beginning, the really true beginning of the flood of drugs.” For now, he is promoting the release of the entire series on Blu-ray.

Idea ... David Chase is considering a prequel to The Sipraonos. Picture: Greg Allen/Invision/AP.

Chase revealed that Steven Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante, one of Tony Soprano’s best friends, was originally considered to play Gandolfini’s part.

“Stevie was one of the people that read for it and that would have been a totally different show,” he said. “Could have been a very good show, too, I think, but funnier and sillier.

“But for all the reasons that I’m sitting here today, a lot of that has to do with Jim and his natural abilities and inclinations,” Chase said.

Casting revelation ... Steven Van Zandt (right) was almost set to take the role of Tony Soprano which ended up being played by James Gandolfini (second right). They are pictured with Tony Sirico and Michael Imperioli. Picture: Supplied.

He said that he was well invested in The Sopranos before he even knew if the public would like it.

“The first season was made, completely shot — written, shot and edited before any of the public ever saw it, so it existed in this little time capsule of its own with no reaction whatsoever.

“So when that hit the media, it blew up. I tried to retain that attitude that we were just out there in Queens making the show and it didn’t matter.

“After a while, when it became very successful, you just start to go ... ‘I’m going to do what I want.’ Why not? How often does anyone get this opportunity, so use it. Some people would tell you, ‘They went off on tangents.’ Chase said he couldn’t have cared less about this reaction.

The Sopranos ... Some of the cast of the hit show. Picture: Supplied.

Chase commented on the show’s infamous violence, talking about the time when character Ralphie Cifaretto’s head was put in a bowling bag, saying the perverse violence of the series was in a sense a joke.

“A lot of it is like a ghastly joke,” he said.

“The bowling ball bag, that’s not shocking, it’s just ghastly and it’s stupidly funny.”