Thu Apr 03, 5:15 PM ET

Tony Soprano, there's a new wiseguy in town, and his name is Mr. Pink.

Actually, it's Steve Buscemi, the character actor known for his shady roles in flicks like Fargo, Con Air and, natch, Reservoir Dogs, who's in negotiations to get mobbed up as a recurring character for the upcoming fifth--and possibly sixth--season of HBO's The Sopranos.

And Buscemi's not the only new made guy on the block. HBO has also signed Oscar nominated actor Robert Loggia--last seen in CBS' short-lived Queens Supreme and that surreal orange juice commercial where he was inexplicably the hero of a nine-year-old boy--to join the fray as a New Joisey mob boss.

Though fans of the drama (already accustomed to maddeningly long stretches between seasons) will have to wait until January 2004 for new episodes, the addition of Buscemi and Loggia signals a new calm over Casa Soprano. The recent salary dispute between HBO and star James Gandolfini had turned so nasty that the cable network had called off production of season five, which finally got underway this week. Visit for more:

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As to where Buscemi and Loggia's characters will fit into the action, Sopranos and HBO reps have taken their usual Omerta--the Mafia vow of silence--but a few details about the new season are already emerging.

Buscemi, who was nominated for an Emmy for directing season three's classic "Pine Barrens" installment of The Sopranos and has directed episodes of other HBO dramas like Oz and the in-limbo Tom Fontana dramedy Baseball Wives, will not only join the on-camera action, but will also direct new episodes.
Loggia will play a mob capo who's sprung from prison and is looking to reclaim his territory. Naturally, he'll butt heads with Tony. And it should be remembered that the last two recurring characters who came to town to tangle with the big guy--a Mr. Richie Aprile and a Mr. Ralphie Cifaretto--are now sleeping with the fishes.
Those critics who charge that the show glorifies gang life may see a whole new level of violence that will be anything but glamorous. Actor Tony Sirico, who plays hothead Paulie Walnuts, tells the New York Post, "There'll be a lot of blood this year, that's all you can count on. It's a gangster show, [so] anyone could get rubbed out." And Paulie could be at the top of the hit list, as rumors swirl that tension between him and fellow hothead Christopher will reach an all-time high.
Last year's surprising season finale--with Carmela and Tony's marriage seemingly kaput after she got confirmation of yet another of his infidelities--won't be resolved quickly in the new season. Buzz is that producers are even looking to cast a "big name" guest star who will play a brave new love interest for the newly unfettered Carmela.
And several tabloids have reported in recent months that season five's first whacking will be Adriana (Drea de Matteo), Christopher's fiancée who spent last season as a well-manicured rat for the FBI.


Another sign that things are looking up in Sopranoland: though the money feud between Gandolfini and HBO put the future of the entire show in jeopardy less than a month ago, sources now say that HBO and series creator David Chase are seriously talking about extending the show to a sixth season. Both Gandolfini's new deal and the network's negotiations with Buscemi include provisions for a sixth round of 13 episodes that would likely air in the fall of 2004.
If they haven't bumped everyone off by then.

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The Sopranos: The E! True Hollywood Story, a two-hour look at the hit crime series featuring exclusive new interviews with the show's stars, premieres April 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Personally, I don't think Drea is going anywhere, early in the season. She just signed a new contract with a big raise.

Interesting. Thanks for posting the info!

That is good news. But from what the post said last Thursday it's most likely the 5th season will be final

Thats going to be awesome, having Steve Buscemi in the Sopranos. He was great in Reservoir Dogs and Fargo.

Take it FWIW. Henry Hill was on Howard Stern saying that he is negotiating to appear in some way during Season 5.