James Gandolfini: drops his lawsuit over salary dispute

THE Sopranos star James Gandolfini has dropped his lawsuit against HBO, resolving a contentious salary dispute that threatened the future of the Emmy-winning television series.

Gandolfini, who filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the network earlier this month, has also agreed to fulfill the terms of his original contract, meaning that a fifth season of The Sopranos will be filmed as scheduled, The New York Times reported yesterday.

HBO, which had filed a counterclaim against Gandolfini, said it would drop its lawsuit once both conditions were met.

The resolution came after private negotiations last weekend between Gandolfini and Brad Grey, one of the show’s executive producers.

“It’s gratifying because like everyone else I love the show,” Grey told the Times. “I think it all ends the way Jim and I discussed it on Saturday.”

Gandolfini, who earns $5 million a year, has contended that he’s underpaid compared to other television stars. His representatives had sought a deal worth $16m a year, but HBO has said it won’t offer more than $11m.

The agreement between Gandolfini and the network came with no change in the salary offer, the Times said.

The 41-year-old actor had claimed that HBO missed a deadline for advising him that his services would be needed for a fifth season, which is scheduled to begin production next week. Gandolfini won Emmy Awards in 2000 and 2001 for his role as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano.