
Sometimes even Johnny Depp is too expensive. Deadline is reporting that Disney has pulled the plug on The Lone Ranger, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced, Gore Verbinski-directed action western based on the classic TV show that was scheduled for release next Christmas. According to reports, the proposed budget came in north of $240 million and even when it was cut back, was still more than $230 million. With expensive films like John Carter and Oz The Great and Powerful already at various stages of production, and The Lone Ranger not yet shooting, Disney cancelled the film to save some bucks. There’s more after the jump. Read More »
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Disney, Jerry Bruckheimer and Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director Gore Verbinski are really, truly making a new Lone Ranger, in which Johnny Depp will star as a sort of revisionist Tonto, with Armie Hammer (The Social Network, J. Edgar) playing the titular ranger. Now two Western veterans, Dwight Yoakam and Barry Pepper, are in talks for the film. Just for good measure Helena Bonham Carter is likely to join the cast, thereby making Lone Ranger a bridge between Johnny Depp’s major movie worlds, Tim Burton and Pirates of the Caribbean. Read More »
Posted on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 by Angie Han

Ruth Wilson will be breaking into the boys’ club as the female lead of Gore Verbinski‘s The Lone Ranger, starring Armie Hammer as the Texas ranger and Johnny Depp as his sidekick Tonto. Although Wilson’s name may be unfamiliar to most Americans, she’s known in the UK for her work on the BBC’s Luther and the Masterpiece Theatre miniseries Jane Eyre. Wilson was selected over Jessica Chastain and Abbie Cornish, who were also being considered for the part, and is currently in negotiations. Very few details have been revealed about her character, named Rebecca.
Unlike the earlier versions of the property, Verbinski’s Lone Ranger will be told from Tonto’s perspective — “Don Quixote told from Sancho Panza’s point of view,” as Verbinski has described it. The film will hit theaters December 21. [Deadline]
After the jump, B.J. Novak joins The Dictator opposite Sacha Baron Cohen a.k.a. Borat, and Peter Mullan takes on an action thriller.
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Posted on Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 by Angie Han

We’ve already discussed at this space the ways in which Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer seem like excellent choices to play the Lone Ranger and Tonto, respectively, in the new The Lone Ranger film. Now another actor may be joining the mix as well. Tom Wilkinson is reportedly “in early talks” for a major part in the Disney Western, which is being directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Read more after the jump.
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Producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed the official logo for Walt Disney Pictures’ Lone Ranger on his new official website. Hit the jump to see the full logo.
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Another great Tweetscoop from Production Weekly tells us that Mike Newell is “in talks to direct Terry Rossio & Ted Elliott’s big screen adaptation of The Lone Ranger at Disney.” I may have recently had trouble calling Newell’s surname to mind (ahem) but I’ve definitely enjoyed a good number of his films over the years.
The other credits we know to be locked in place for the Ranger is Johnny Depp who will be playing Tonto, the sidekick role, and Jerry Bruckheimer who will be producing. Bruckheimer very recently collaborated with Newell on the Prince of Persia picture. These Ranger negotiations would therefore seem to suggest Bruckheimer’s satisfaction with Prince. The question I’d ask is if Bruckheimer’s optimism actually counts for anything.
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