It's not complete but I'm just gonna rattle 'em off in no particular order (we're assuming a prequel, so here goes):

Vincent D'Onofrio: Luca Brasi
Stanley Tucci: Emilio Barzini
Valeria Golino: Carmella Corleone
Brad Pitt: Detective McCluskey
John Ventimiglia: Philip Tattaglia
Haley Joel Osment: Young Tom Hagen
Paul Dano: Young Santino Corleone
Adrian Brody: Johnny Ola
Alfred Molina: Tommassino
Tobey Maguire: Fredo Corleone

Would McClusky be in it? I don't think he would be; he is not a real key character in one, and I don't think he would add to a storyline in a prequel.

Mick

PS> Interesting list, however. The best canditates for a cast list are all taken up by The Sopranos, so as long as that show is on, I don't think we would ever see a fourth Godfather.

Even if it was a prequel, I'm not sure how many of those characters outside the Corleone family would appear again such as Tattaglia or Barzini...

EDIT: Whoa, whoa, whoa, where in this list is Hyman Roth, and why is he nowhere to be found???

montauk,
i´m not at all sure how serious your suGGestions were (McCluskey as a hottie?! haley joel osment?! >I see mob people....<), but otherwise, nice topic, always waited for it to pop up somewhere.

i´ll make two tries: I always thouGht Joaquin Phoenix would be nice to play either Mike or Sonny in younG aGe. He´s Got the coldness, but he also has this violent twitch on him, he could maybe do it. althouGh Pacino & Caan are of course irresistible. but before we settle with Leo....
and I fiGure that Edward Norton miGht be a neat choice to play a younG Tom HaGen. He has the intelliGent, he has this streak of intellectualism, plus he´s credible at beinG cunninG. i think.
that´s it. sorry i mocked you for your castinG choices montauk, i didn´t mean it.

Consigliera, just out of curiousity, what's with the capital Gs?

let´s say - >G< is for Godfather, okay?
hope it doesn´t unnerve anyone...

I see your point, G-lady; but I'm only going by the speculation that IV would cover the period when Vito rises to power in NYC, after cornering the olive oil trade, up to somewhere before Connie meets Carlo. At this point Tom Hagen is a street urchin with bad eyes, thus Haley Joel as opposed to Ed. As far as Pitt, keep in mind that Sterling Hayden struck a bella figura when he was younger. But, OK, you don't like Brad; what about John C. Reilly?

Also, Al Pacino already played Mike at a young age; someone much younger would have to play him much younger, and in this period Mikey was much younger, as was Connie and Fredo.

To answer a question posed by another poster, I definitely think that Tattaglia and Barzini would be present; they didn't just pop up out of nowhere, and we need to see how the Corleone-Tattaglia rivalry originated. McCluskey I can see looming somewhere in this period given the Corleone's dealings with the police department, Sollozzo wouldn't register though.

Others that I'm still pondering:

John Turturro: Frank Pentangeli
Mike Badalucco: Pete Clemenza
Sam Rockwell: Willie Cicci
Kevin Pollak: Hyman Roth (this is a tough one)

ciao montauk,

no one in the baG for >younG mike

me neither.

i like brad, it´s only that the ole capn is such a minor role, but it would depend on the script, as with mr. osment and ed.
haley isn´t, of course, quite as dishy as ed yet, but he´d make a lovely younG tom, i bet.

i Go with you with the rest of the cast, thouGh i dunno the sonny-fella you picked

how bout benicio del toro as younG sonny?

hey, i just have to say that since your bringing back de niro as don corleone why not bring back the same guys who played tessio and clamenza. clamenza especially was played wonderfully by and actor named bruno kirby who is a fixture in quite a few mob movies. lol. and for sonny i keep saying scott caan

I never said de niro as don, though that might be interesting but WAIT!!! WHAT ABOUT THIS?

Anthony LaPaglia: Vito Corleone
Peter Riegert: Hyman Roth
Jason Schwartzman: Moe Greene
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Det. McCluskey
Chazz Palmiteri: Luca Brasi
Michael Rispoli: Frank Pentangeli

I'm stumped on Genco Abbandando though.

I never said de niro as don, though that might be interesting but WAIT!!! WHAT ABOUT THIS?

Anthony LaPaglia: Vito Corleone
Peter Riegert: Hyman Roth
Jason Schwartzman: Moe Greene
Philip Seymour Hoffman: Det. McCluskey
Chazz Palmiteri: Luca Brasi
Michael Rispoli: Frank Pentangeli

I'm stumped on Genco Abbandando though. [/b][/quote]Just got unstumped, here we go...

David Proval: Genco Abbandando
Hayden Christensen: Santino Corleone (at 19)
Anna Paquin: Sandra, Sonny's girlfriend

The tough thing about this is, who are you going to get to fill the shoes of actors like Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, and Robert Duvall?

It seems like any of todays actors would be an insult to the great actors, and great characters, of the original movies.

You were more on the ball with Vincent D'ofrino as Luca. Mcguire as Fredo is a good idea. It would have to be DeNiro as Don Vito. I doubt we would see McClusky, However I think it would make sense to have Barzini, and Tatalia.

You know what's a damned shame, now that I think about it after watching II again. Joe Mantegna would be perfect IMHO as a younger Frankie Pentangeli, but he already put in as Joey Zasa.