Steve Carell and Gore Verbinski's North Korea-Set Thriller Canceled

This is why so many have come out strongly against Sony Pictures' decision to pull the release of The Interview after hacker threats and warnings of violence. The effect of the move is beginning to spread to other studios already, as 20th Century Fox have now cancelled a North Korea-set thriller from Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Steve Carell.

The film, titled Pyongyang, was announced earlier this year with a script by Steve Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), and has been described as a paranoia thriller set in North Korea. Due to recent events, insiders at Fox decided the climate to even develop such a film was a bad idea, although they were never officially committed to it in the first place. Verbinski expressed his anger and disappointment in a statement last night:

Getting the facts straight:
Yesterday, I was told by New Regency and Fox that Fox will no longer be distributing the film. Prior to that, the film was green lit and fully funded by New Regency with Fox distributing. I have been told in no uncertain words that based on the situation at Sony, Fox has now decided to not distribute the film. Without a distributor, New Regency was forced to shut the film down.
 My thoughts:
I find it ironic that fear is eliminating the possibility to tell stories that depict our ability to overcome fear.
Gore Verbinski

 Where does this end, exactly? Have we reached the point where a film, even a silly comedy, won't get made because some may not agree with the material? That shuts down a lot of avenues. Say goodbye to movies about religion, abortion, race, anything that could ruffle a few feathers. [Deadline]

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Steve Carell may Star in Gore Verbinski's 'Gregory the Nuisance'

In a few short months we could be talking about Steve Carell: Oscar winner. Yes, the guy from Get Smart has a lot of Best Actor momentum for his scary performance in Foxcatcher, capping off a string of dramatic performances recently. With so much attention he's bound to be fielding a ton of offers, including one from Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lone Ranger director, Gore Verbinski.

According to Showbiz411, Carell could star as Gregory the Nuisance for Verbinski, an apparent comedy about a filmmaker who ends up in North Korea. That's about all we know except that it will also shoot in Serbia. Neither of these things sound especially funny on their own, but you never know. As long as it doesn't involve Carell trying to assassinate Kim Jong-un there shouldn't  be a problem. Seth Rogen and James Franco might have something to say if it does. 

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Steve Carell to Team with Gore Verbinski for Paranoia Thriller

This weekend audiences will have a chance to see Steve Carell doing what he does best, which is making us laugh, in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. He's also been branching out and showing his dramatic side, and his upcoming performance in Foxcatcher has some considering him as a possible Best Actor candidate. Carell is continuing to diversify, and now he'll take on a new challenge by starring in a new thriller from Pirates of the Caribbean director, Gore Verbinski.

Deadline says Carell and Verbinski will pair up on an untitled "paranoid thriller", penned by Steve Conrad, writer of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. There aren't any other details at this point except that production is set to begin next March.

Once this is wrapped, Verbinski will shoot two films for New Regency back-to-back, and both sound potentially interesting. One is A Cure for Wellness, an "elevated horror" that would reteam him with The Lone Ranger scribe, Justin Haythe. Really? They want to give it another go, eh? The second film is Passengers, also penned by Conrad and described as a large-scale comedy.

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Review: 'The Lone Ranger', Starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer

Disney doesn't put the Pirates of the Caribbean think tank on just any ol' thing. When the combination of Johnny Depp, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Gore Verbinski get together it’s with the intention of crafting another $1B franchise, and that's exactly what the hopes for The Lone Ranger are. And hey, maybe Disney will get what they want, because there's very little difference to be found between either. Depp does good quirk, Verbinski does big action, the jokes are plentiful but not necessarily funny, the running time is 40 minutes too long, and despite being an origin story on the iconic Western hero you'll still be asking "Who was that masked man?" when all is said and done.

The chief problem makes itself known immediately, as the film opens in 1933 San Francisco, a precocious young boy dressed as the titular ranger makes his way through a traveling circus, coming upon an old Native American exhibit. The Indian mannequin turns out to be very much alive, an aged Tonto (Depp) as it turns out, and who takes the opportunity to recount his very first meetings with The Lone Ranger and their earliest adventures. Bouncing back and forth to this older Tonto does to the film's pacing what a broken hoof would do to the Ranger's horse, Silver. Already saddling us with a bloated 2 1/2 runtime, the non-linear approach makes it feel like 3 1/2, without adding anything of worth.

Not that it would have mattered much because the meat of the story...well, there isn't much meat to it and what little is there is painfully dull. Justin Haythe is credited with the script but it's really 'Pirates' scribes Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott whose fingerprints are all over it, and storytelling really isn't their bag. Depp was able to cover up the emptiness of their writing when Jack Sparrow was still a totally unique character, but his Tonto is so familiar that it's not going to hide anything. In his leading man bid, Armie Hammer is naive lawman John Reid, who returns to his southwest hometown where his brother Dan (a ruggedly charismatic James Badge Dale) is the baddest Texas Ranger in town. After he's killed by the heart-munching Butch Cavendish (a filthy and gross William Fichtner), John teams up with the eccentric and clearly insane Tonto to get justice. But what does justice mean for someone like John? His brother had a "shoot first" approach to the legal process, and Tonto certainly has his own ideas, but John's journey will have him changing his thoughts on due process in a major way.

You can feel the strains of franchise building in the relationship between The Lone Ranger and Tonto. It's the latter who we learn the most about, delving into his past in a way that has never been done before. It's mildly interesting to discover why he wears a dead bird on his head, which he constantly is feeding for some goofy reason, and why he's such a proponent for vigilante justice. But the further they go back, the more Tonto looks like a psycho rather than a guy with an off brand sense of humor. The distinction matters, and there are far too many moments where Tonto is more disturbing than funny. He still gets better treatment than the Ranger, who we learn almost nothing about other than that he once had a thing for his dead brother's widow (Ruth Wilson), and she still has one for him.  Wait, isn't this movie called The Lone Ranger? Shouldn't it maybe be about him? Just a little? Mostly we get the Ranger and Tonto jumping from one sticky situation to another, with lots of stuff happening but little of it engaging. There's some good comedic mileage out of Tonto's utter lack of respect for the Ranger, who he feels should have died and his brother Dan resurrected.

Hammer plays the straight man beautifully opposite Depp, most of the film walking a line between professorial pantywaist and the dashing hero we know he'll turn out to be. Depp's deadpan interpretation of Tonto sounds like it was ripped from old episodes of Daniel Boone, and those who openly complained about his being cast in the role (Depp claims Native American heritage that hasn't been proven) will probably find reason to take issue. Fortunately there are better portrayals that emerge later in the film, at least for a few minutes before white man greed interferes with their simple way of life. Women are basically a non-factor in this masculine Old West world, with Wilson having little to do but be a potential target for the Ranger's enemies. Most egregiously, Helena Bonham Carter is completely wasted as a brothel owner who gives new meaning to the phrase "killer legs".

Tonally a nightmare, broad comedy clashes with a subplot involving the white man's slaughter of the Native American population. There's a great deal of violence, more gruesome than one would expect from a Disney film, and sometimes it's played up for laughs when other times we're expected to find it sobering. A lot of this can be forgiven because everything looks so damn good, easily the best work Verbinski has done, and it's clear he took his experience directing the brilliant animated western Rango and put it to good use. Everything looks authentic and gorgeous, from the saddlebags to the tumbleweeds, captured beautifully with an incredible level of attention. Verbinski pushed the budget well past its limit, and it shows in two amazing bookend train sequences. The opening scene promises adventure on a massive scale that we never truly get. The final one, a dizzying dual-track battle set to The Lone Ranger's iconic William Tell Overture, ends the film on an exquisitely energetic note.

What it boils down to is that this is meant to be the first chapter in a bigger story, and unfortunately it was written like one. Overlong and needlessly convoluted, The Lone Ranger lacks the adventure needed to make the 1930s radio and TV hero a modern day action star.

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Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer Cause Chaos In Three Clips From 'The Lone Ranger'

Gore Verbinski famously (and originally) brought us the story of Captain Jack Sparrow and the miscreant crew of the Black Pearl back in 2003. Now, Verbinski has re-teamed with Johnny Depp, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and Disney to bring us the adventures of Tonto and John Reid in The Lone Ranger. 

Disney has released three new clips for the film. The first clip includes the usage of the word "kimosabi" a lot, as well as Tonto giving Reid the famous Lone Ranger mask. Tonto also gives Reid advice about wearing the mask to protect himself and those he cares about. While watching, you may be reminded of Depp's pirate character, but in white makeup. 

The second clip showcases an action scene where Tonto and Reid are arguing on top of a train. There's a chain involved as well as a couple of swift getaways common of Verbinski's style of action. And the third clip, which also includes the train, requires no speaking as the train utterly destroys everything in its path and throws off Tonto and Reid. I'm sure the railroad workers will not be happy after the destruction of all their hard work! 

You can watch all three clips below! 

The Lone Ranger stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Helena Bonham-Carter, Barry Pepper, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, and james Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson.

The film hits theaters July 3rd. 

THE LONE RANGER Clip 1 of 3 by Your Geek News

THE LONE RANGER Clip 2 of 3 by Your Geek News

THE LONE RANGER Clip 3 of 3 by Your Geek News

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An American legend rises in the latest trailer for 'The Lone Ranger'

There's a little over a month until Disney's The Lone Ranger gallops into town, and does it feel like the film is already old news? Disney has an unknown quantity on their hands, one that could just as easily bomb as be a Pirates of the Caribbean level hit.  Johnny Depp is back in another quirky role playing the Native American sidekick Tonto, joined by his 'Pirates' director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. So it has that working in its favor. On the other hand, Armie Hammer isn't a proven star as the titular hero, and The Lone Ranger property is one most people aren't really familiar with, plus is set in a genre with a shaky box office history.

What should be the final trailer has been released, and it's more of the energetic action and snappy humor that should be familiar to 'Pirates' fans, only with a lot more horses and tumbleweeds. Also starring Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, James Badge Dale, and Ruth Wilson, The Lone Ranger opens on July 3rd.


The Lone Ranger - Trailer / Bande-Annonce #6 [VO|HD1080p] by Lyricis

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*UPDATE* Two new trailers for 'The Lone Ranger' starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer

 *UPDATE* Disney has dropped an international trailer with some additional footage and a better look at the film's biggest action scenes. *

It's the summer blockbuster season, and that means it's time to watch Johnny Depp dress and like a fool, because that always seems to work. A new trailer for The Lone Ranger has been released, which stars Depp as the Native American sidekick Tonto, with Armie Hammer as the titular Old West hero. With Gore Verbinski directing and Jerry Bruckheimer producing, it's impossible to ignore the similarities between this and Pirates of the Caribbean, but will audiences turn out in the same numbers?

The latest footage gives us a closer look at how the partnership between the Ranger and Tonto was forged, before jumping into the best glimpse at the story we've seen yet. We see the murder that inspires Dan Reid to fight for justice in the first place, and a number of the colorful characters are introduced. Depp gets to show off his kooky side yet again, and Verbinski gets to put the film's massive budget on display with a huge train sequence.

It's easy to forget that Disney also owns this film, with so much attention on Star Wars and Marvel. Part of the reason may be the bloated cost (over $200M) that halted production and nearly stopped the film from happening. Also there's the sense that it could get lost in the shuffle during an especially crowded season for popcorn flicks.

The Lone Ranger rides into town in 3D on July 3rd. 

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New international trailer for 'The Lone Ranger'

Disney ran into a number of budgetary headaches when it comes to The Lone Ranger, which isn't really a surprise since Gore Verbinski is notorious for his overspending. The script was rewritten and certain large action sequences dropped in order to pare down costs, but as we've seen in two trailers already there are more than enough crazy sequences to keep the film exciting. A new international trailer has been released which puts all of the big weapons, stunts, and buddy humor on full display.

Starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the titular gunslinger, the film still looks like Pirates of the Caribbean in the Old West. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just the familiar sort of energetic, family-ready action we've become accustomed to from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Co-starring Barry Pepper, Tom Wilkinson, James Badge Dale, William Fichtner, and Helena Bonham Carter (complete with leg cannons!), The Lone Ranger gallops into theaters on July 3rd.

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1st full trailer for 'The Lone Ranger' with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer

The teaser trailer that debuted for The Lone Ranger a couple of months ago was probably different than what many were expecting. Considering it reunites all of the principle players from the Pirates of the Caribbean team, including the writers, director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and star Johnny Depp, it suggested a much harder edge and darker tone, which at least for me was worth getting excited about. Now the first full trailer has been released, and much of what was promising about it remains intact, albeit with a touch more humor.

Clearly designed to be more reminisicent of the 'Pirates' movies, this one takes every opportunity to remind you of the nearly $4B franchise. There's a bit more slapstick to the comedy, and it looks like Armie Hammer will get to carry his share of it as the titular gunslinger. He's actually more of the focus here than Depp, but we get to see plenty of him as the Native American sidekick, Tonto. It's another showy, Jack Sparrow-esque role for Depp, and I'm betting Disney will swing the attention back to him as the release date draws nearer.

All in all the film looks great, the much talked about train sequence looks like the sort of big set piece Verbinski is good at, and after a troubled production Disney probably has a huge hit on their hands. Co-starring Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson, Barry Pepper, and William Fichtner, The Lone Ranger rides into town on July 3rd.

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The first trailer for 'The Lone Ranger' is here!

With a calamitous shoot finally completed, Disney has spent this week building up the hype for next summer's The Lone Ranger with two sets of images released and yesterday's poster reveal. The film reunites the entirety of the Pirates of the Caribbean team, with Johnny Depp slipping into the showy role of Tonto, Gore Verbinski directing, Jerry Bruckheimer producing, and a script by Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot. Can they recapture the same magic as before and launch another $1B franchise?

The first trailer for The Lone Ranger has been released, although for those who attended Comic-Con they will recognize it as the same footage from the Disney panel. It's actually a pretty impressive clip, and Verbinski, who is a devoted fan of the Western genre, has given the film a much harder edge than I think many will be expecting. That said, when Depp goes into his "There will come a time, Kemosabe" routine, it sounds a little bit silly, and the door seems wide open for the same sort of bouncy and easily digestible action that the 'Pirates' flicks were famous for. There's a lot less of Depp, and plenty of Hammer as the titular masked hero, which should appease those who felt the latter would be shuffled into the background.

There's still the potential for this to be the disaster all of the production troubles hint at it being, but this trailer is pretty good. Expect a higher quality version to be released later today. The Lone Ranger opens on July 3rd 2013.....[CBM]

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Uh oh. Disney's 'The Lone Ranger' facing another budget crisis

Disney just can't buy a break with anything outside of The Avengers, can they? Maybe they should just invest in superheroes and animated flicks from now on? It was last year that production on The Lone Ranger was halted due to a skyrocketing budget that was aiming north of $250M. Even with Johnny Depp in the role of Tonto, and his Pirates of the Caribbean helmer, Gore Verbinski teaming back up, there was no way to justify that amount of money. Disney did the right thing at the time, forcing Depp, Verbinski, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer to reconfigure the script and lower the budget down to a more manageable $215M. That got the job done, and production began in February.

Well, all seemed to be running smoothly....for awhile. THR reports that the budget is rapidly approaching the $250M level that scared Disney off to begin with, along with being behind on the schedule. Even with all the rewrites that took place to slash the cost, apparently it wasn't enough, and the script continues to be worked on. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as Verbinski has never been a director who knew how to stay within set limits. It was Disney who wanted to can his ass, but relented in order stay in Depp and Bruckheimer's good graces. Now they're facing a situation that sounds an awful lot like the lead up to the super expensive, box office dud that was John Carter.

Granted, not all of the budget overruns are on Verbinski's shoulders. The production was hit with a run of terrible weather, which caused a great deal of damage to many of the pricey set pieces. On the other hand, Verbinski's costly desire to build old timey locomotives from scratch is a major concern, since he could have used what was already had available. Disney wants many of these scenes cut in order to help keep the costs low, but it remains to be seen if that happens.

The hope is obviously that Depp and Co. can do for Westerns what they did for the swashbuckling genre in Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney has a decision to make here, and it isn't an easy one. The 'Pirates' films have grossed nearly $4B, so Disney knows the formula is a potentially lucrative one. But how much rope do they give Verbinski? If they pull the reins on him too tight, the movie might not be any good.  It's possible audiences may have Western fatigue after Djano Unchained opens this Christmas, and as we've seen a couple of times recently, Johnny Depp isn't quite as bankable outside of the Jack Sparrow persona. One thing that should be noted is what we learned last October, that if the production goes too far over budget, Bruckheimer will have to pay the difference. For that reason alone, Disney may be willing to let things slide and continue on as they are.

We'll see what happens. The Lone Ranger has another few months of filming to be completed. Assuming all goes well, we're supposed to see it next summer on July 3rd.

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1st look at Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in 'The Lone Ranger'!

Now that all of Disney's budget fears over The Lone Ranger have been settled, and the majority of the cast back in place, it's time to just saddle up and get this thing done.  Re-teaming Johnny Depp with Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski(Pirates of the Caribbean), the film is of course based on the famous Texas Ranger turned gunslinger who fights injustice alongside his Native American sidekick, Tonto.

Bruckheimer has released via his Twitter account the first image of Depp and Hammer in the film, and the first thing that struck me is that Tonto just looks like Jack Sparrow with war paint. Even the scowl plastered all over his face is pure Sparrow, and it's immediately clear his relationship with the Ranger is going to be comically turbulent. Still, it's a very cool shot and should make for a nice poster later on.  Hammer definitely has the hero's triumphant, confident look down pat.

Co-starring Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter, The Lone Ranger will ride into theaters on May 31st 2013!

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Casting Call sheet for The Lone Ranger reveals plot details

In the mad dash to make The Lone Ranger's budget easier to swallow for Disney, a lot of the film's planned supernatural elements had to be removed. Why a film based on the old west gunslinger would even have supernatural aspects is beyond me. Did these guys not see Jonah Hex?  Part of what reportedly got cut out of the Ted Elliott/Terry Rossio script when it was re-written by Justin Hayeth was a scene in which the masked vigilante would use his trademark silver bullets to fight off werewolves. Seriously.

A new casting call sheet for the film provides a brief plot synopsis and shows just how the story's been changed in the wake of the budget cuts...


Plot: Left for dead in an ambush with five other Texas Rangers, lawman John Reid (Armie Hammer) survives and is nursed back to health by an Indian scout named Tonto (Johnny Depp). He then dons a mask to avenge the murders of his comrades and to foil evildoers, never accepting payment for his services. His gratis vigilantism is made possible by the silver mine he inherits from his slain brothers - the same mine that affords him his endless supply of trademark silver bullets.

It also states that filming is set to take place in New Mexico from February 13th to July 14th 2012. The Lone Ranger is to be directed by Gore Verbinski(Rango), and stars Johnny Depp as Tonto, Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger. Tom Wilkinson recently rejoined the film as villain as evil railroad tycoon, Latham Cole. Ruth Wilson, Helena Bonham Carter, Barry Pepper, Dwight Yoakem, and James Badge Dale are expected to make up the rest of the supporting cast. [ActingAudtions]

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The Lone Ranger back in the saddle for Disney

All's well that ends well, I guess. After Disney suddenly pulled the plug on The Lone Ranger, it appeared they had finally caught wind of the fact that these $250M+ blockbusters are no longer guaranteed successes. Not even with the Pirates of the Caribbean team of Johnny Depp, Gore Verbinski, and Jerry Bruckheimer involved. There've been too many high profile flops lately(Cowboys & Aliens) to justify such a huge budget, and so the Mouse House demanded the costs be trimmed down to roughly $200-215M. Last we heard, some major changes had taken place to make the film more palatable for Disney's number crunchers, and now according to Deadline the film is back on track with all it's pieces intact.

Earlier in the month it looked like Disney was asking for a lot more than just shedding a few dollars before they'd greenlight such a risky film. We heard that some of the story's supernatural elements had been jettisoned, and there was even talk of canning spend-happy director Verbinski. It appears that Verbinski will in fact return, so I guess everybody kissed and made up. The plan is for production to kick off in January or February, with the December 21st 2012 release date still likely to be in place.

What about the cast? Depp is obviously in, and so is Armie Hammer as the masked gunslinger himself. Hammer would've stood to lose the most if the project fell by the wayside, as this should be his first and best chance to capitalize on his The Social Network buzz. The supporting cast is less certain. Ruth Wilson is in. But the delay may have hurt the chances of holding on to Tom Wilkinson, Dwight Yoakem, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale, and Barry Pepper.

I don't like the sound of this, but then again I never really thought The Lone Ranger had the type of appeal to be as successful as something like Pirates of the Caribbean. With the smaller budget, and Verbinski's tendency to spend money like water, I see trouble on the horizon. We'll just have to wait and see how this develops.

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Will a lower budget save Johnny Depp's The Lone Ranger?

Disney made the justifiable move by shitcanning Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski's take on The Lone Ranger. Even though the tandem, along with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, have worked wonders together with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, there was absolutely no reason for a Western to cost north of $250M. Tumbleweeds aren't that expensive. In fact they're sorta free. Ever since it's been a mad race to do whatever's necessary to trim the fat, with Justin Haythe's script having it's most expensive(read: supernatural) parts forcibly removed.

So now Deadline says that a new draft has been turned in, one that cuts the budget down to a still ludicrous $215M, a far cry from what Disney wants. However it appears that Verbinski, known for being a bit too spend happy on his productions, will walk if he has to drop it any lower. And Depp is now saying he won't do the movie at all without Verbinski, so this puts the studio in an awkward position.

Well, in theory it does. To me the decision is simple: Disney should turn their back and move on. The assumption that The Lone Ranger will be another billion dollar franchise just because the 'Pirates' gang is together again is far fetched. There's no proof anywhere that The Lone Ranger could be that sort of draw. Remember Cowboys & Aliens? Didn't do so hot, and that had James Bond and Indiana Jones in it. Verbinski won't be able to stay under budget because...well, he never does. And the film would only succeed if it does 'Pirates' dollars, due to the astronomical production costs. For the price of making the film they could make three or four smaller ones with just as much chance at finding an audience. I just don't see the benefits other than making sure they don't piss off Depp and Bruckheimer. Disney doesn't seem all that concerned about Verbinski.

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Disney axes Johnny Depp's The Lone Ranger due to budget concerns

In a move that proves even the mightiest of celebrities can fall by the wayside when money becomes an issue, Disney has pulled the plug on The Lone Ranger, a film which was looking to be one of their major tentpoles for 2012. Johnny Depp was set to headline as Tonto, pairing back up with the ultra successful director of Pirates of the Caribbean, Gore Verbinski. Deadline says what got the film killed was the massive budget, which was looking at over $250M+(!!!), and Disney was like "Oh hell naw!!!". Attempts to trim it down to $232M simply weren't enough, as Disney was looking for something in the ballpark of $200M. 
Seriously, how does a friggin' Western cost $200M? Is this Wild Wild West with giant robot spiders all over the place? It's not the casting, that's for sure. Armie Hammer(The Social Network) may be more in demand now than ever, but he can't cost all that much. The rest of the cast consists of Tom Wilkinson, Helena Bonham Carter, and James Badge Dale, not exactly bank busting stars.  What this boils down to is that studios aren't going to keep spending money like water hoping for a hit. There have been way too many big budget flops lately(hi Green Lantern. You too Cowboys & Aliens) to justify it. Look at what happened to At the Mountains of Madness with Guillermo Del Toro. Or a more recent example is Ron Howard's adaptation of The Dark Tower. Too much risk to justify the costs.

But there has to more to it than just that. The Depp/Verbinski pairing all but promises a $500M global haul. My personal opinion is that Disney got cold feet at the crowded December 2012 month, which promised to blunt The Lone Ranger's numbers. The Hobbit, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, and Judd Apatow's Knocked Up spinoff are all set up for the same month.

There's still some hope that the film will be picked up by another studio, and frankly I'd be surprised if it isn't. It's going to have to come at a much lower price, though.

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Armie Hammer to don the mask of The Lone Ranger

This is the same guy I was watching on Reaper just like a year ago, right? Armie Hammer's meteoric rise has been a thing to watch over the last few months. His dual role as the spoiled Winklevoss twins in The Social Network put him on the map, and since he's been shooting J. Edgar with Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio. If that's not enough, he'll be the prince opposite Julia Roberts' evil queen in Tarsem Singh's Snow White flick. Not bad work if you can get it.  Last month we learned that Hammer was rumored to be up to star opposite Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger, which currently has Gore Verbinski(Pirates of the Caribbean) at the helm. Now Variety reports that he's been confirmed, but don't for a second think this will be your typical Lone Ranger tale.

With Johnny Depp as Tonto, expect this film to give the Native American sidekick a much larger profile, eclipsing that of the masked Texas Ranger himself. Depp, who has claimed in the past to be part Native American, has been adamant pretty much since the beginning(we first reported on it in 2009, but he's been attached since '08) that his version of Tonto will pay greater respect to Tonto's heritage.

For Hammer, this will be his first chance to play an iconic figure everybody recognizes. Let's just hope this pans out better than the planned live-action Justice League flick from a few years ago where he was set to play Batman. So he won't get to bust the heads of any costumed freaks, but at least he'll get to wear a cool mask and shout "Hi-Yo Silver!"

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Verbinski/ Depp reteaming for The Lone Ranger?

I'm no fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean flicks so learning that Gore Verbinski might be reuniting with Johnny Depp doesn't do a whole lot for me. Tell me it's about the possibility of directing The Lone Ranger and I get a bit more interested. Then I remembered that it was a Jerry Bruckheimer production and the realization that it will be like all of his other films and my enthusiasm plummets again.

Verbinski is reportedly in talks with Disney to helm the film, which has been in development Hell for roughly eight years. Johnny Depp has been confirmed to play The Lone Ranger's Native American sidekick, Tonto, since 2008. At one time Mike Newell(Donnie Brasco) was the lead candidate to direct, but those negotiations fell through. 

Do I really need to go into detail on who The Lone Ranger is? Masked Texas Ranger. Hi-Yo Silver. Tonto. Kemo-Sabe.  Been around since 1933.  You know the drill. I would love to see a modern version of tackled by somebody not affiliated with Jerry Bruckheimer and his cookie cutter, assembly line style of action products. 

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