Mafia: Definitive Edition: Here's How And Why They Recast Tommy Angelo For The Remake

Mafia: Definitive Edition will present a whole new cast when it comes out on August 28 for PS4, Xbox One and PC. In the English-speaking territories, Tommy will be played by the Italian-Australian actor Andrew Bongiorno, who also acts as a similarity for the character and has performed motion capture for the role.

In a new post on the Mafia website, developer Hanger 13 discussed the casting process for this remake. The remake is extensive enough not to want to reuse the original 2002 mafia audio and, according to Hanger 13 president Haden Blackman, they wanted to make sure they were using new technologies for this release. "Since our footage relies heavily on motion capture data, it was essential to have both voice and physical performance," he says. "We looked for actors who not only played the part, but also looked at the part and could perform both on the motion capture stage and on the VO stand."

While producer Nicole Sandoval initially explored the possibility of reusing the original actors, it was ultimately not viable. "Nobody's voice remains the same, especially after so long," he says. The team decided that building an ensemble cast would be important, especially since a main theme of the mafia - and most media mobs - is the concept of family.

Bongiorno, who previously starred in the TV series True Nightmares and attended the Live by Night directed by Ben Affleck, was the most important casting piece for the team. Blackman says that Bongiorno got the role because he is "credible both as a mafia and as a family man". The team wanted an actor who could be "aspiring at times - someone you might want to be - but who could also convey his very human weaknesses."

The post sings the praises of Bongiorno and Sandoval says that the actor possessed "a distinct coldness and calm".

The team also brought vocal singer Eliza Jane Schneider, who previously worked on Mafia III, to ensure that the actors had the 'sounds' of Chicago in the 1930s (the basis for setting up the Lost Heaven game) . Since New York's gangster patois is the most iconic form of the "gangster" impression, Schneider worked with the actors to make sure they matched the right time.

Mafia: Definitive Edition will be available as a standalone version or as part of the Mafia trilogy, which also includes improved versions of Mafia II and Mafia III. See the ms2shop Guide for more information.