7th Heaven

'Sopranos' creator's big twist: We may returnTony Soprano may not get whacked after all.

During a public interview with New Yorker media critic Ken Auletta yesterday for the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications, “Sopranos” creator David Chase said that he’d consider extending the high-rated HBO series for a seventh season if the right offer came. Chase has played coy before, saying before seasons five and six that he wasn’t sure he’d continue. And even if Chase were game, there’s no guaranteeing the actors would be. Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini, filed a lawsuit against HBO two years ago over his contract, and may be more interested in his burgeoning movie career. Chase said his sixth-season storyline would allow for the series to return without any major tweaks. HBO says it has spoken with Chase about a seventh season but reached no agreement. The network would love for “The Sopranos” to return. Its recent attempts at drama, including the canceled “Carnivale” and critically praised but low-rated “Deadwood,” have nowhere near “Sopranos’” ratings heft, and the more “Sopranos” episodes, the more it stands to make in syndication.

[Medialife]