James Gandolfini's In The Loop

Now free of his day job (cracking heads as family-plagued mob boss Tony Soprano), James Gandolfini is making full use of his expanded spare time to notch up the movie roles.

He’s just signed on to play a US Army general in BBC Films’ In The Loop, which will act as an unofficial film adaptation of Armando Iannucci’s ace political series The Thick Of It. And anyone worried that the regulars will be sidelined need not worry: Iannucci is writing and directing and there are parts for Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison and Paul Higgins, as well as new faces Gina McKee and Tom Hollander. Oh, and Anna Chlumsky, still best known for My Girl with Macauly Culkin, is also appearing.

It all kicks off shooting this month in London and Washington and The Hollywood Reporter is stalking the halls for the story .

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