Sopranos stops shooting amid legal wrangle

Hit gangster drama The Sopranos could soon be sleeping with the fish, after US broadcaster HBO indefinitely postponed production of the fifth series because of an escalating legal row with the show's star, James Gandolfini.

HBO has told staff preparing to begin work on the new series - which was due to go into production on March 24 - not to turn up, insiders told the Washington Post.

The postponement follows a flurry of writs between HBO and Gandolfini, who plays the show's lead character, mob boss Tony Soprano.

Gandolfini last week launched a legal action seeking to get out of his contract, claiming HBO had failed to inform him in time of the renewal of the series and that he was therefore not obliged to continue under Californian law.

The star issued his writ after HBO rejected his bid to raise his salary from around £250,000 an episode to £620,000, which would have put him on a par with how much the stars of Friends are paid.

HBO had offered to double Gandolfini's salary to around £500,000 an episode.

HBO has filed a response to the actor's legal challenge and countersued, claiming Gandolfini was contracted to work in a fifth and sixth series of The Sopranos.

The broadcaster said it will lose more than £60m in revenues if the next two series of one of its biggest hits are lost.

The HBO chairman, Chris Albrecht, said Gandolfini was being "destructive" and acting in a "shocking and disappointing manner".

Mr Albrecht added that HBO had offered to double the actor's salary even though it was under no contractual obligation to do so.

"[We're doing this out of] respect for Jim and in recognition of his talent and hard work," he said.

Gandolfini's lawyer, Martin Singer, has not ruled out the possibility of the star turning up for work on March 24.

The actor launched the lawsuit because he was unhappy he was not told the show's creator, David Chase, was being paid £12m for the upcoming series.

Gandolfini's lawsuit, filed in California, claimed that his contract stipulates that he should be informed of any increase in Chase's wages.