The Super Bowl's notoriously pricey ad spots already cost a chunk of change well into the seven figures last year and it's set to head well northward for 30 seconds of airtime this Sunday. But that has not scared away movie studios from snapping up commercial time on Super Bowl XLVII.
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Can Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski do for cowboys and Indians what they previously did for pirates? We'll find out soon enough, as today we have proof that the troubled, years-in-development new version of The Lone Ranger will actually hit theaters.
A new full-length trailer for next summer's The Lone Ranger hit the web today, and it's full of everything you've come to expect from the people who convinced us that the British East India Company operated in the West indies. It's definitely an original story, but it's also apparent that the film will treat the desert of west Texas with the same kind of cheesy awe that the Pirates films did the Caribbean, which is fine by me. The trailer shows us how Tonto and Kemosabe become pals, how the Ranger takes up the mask, and how the west Texas (actually, New Mexico) desert has some rather spectacular scenery.
Incidentally, despite seeing more of Armie Hammer's Ranger, I'm still getting the impression that Tonto is the main character. If that turns out to be the case, it'll be an interesting twist on the Anglo-centric
view of the old West.
So, will this be a hit? There hasn't been a successful filmed take on the character since The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold in 1958, that film an extension of the popular TV series which ran on ABC from 1949 to 1957. The last theatrical attempt was the 1981 flop The Legend of The Lone Ranger, the less said about which, the better. And after the failure of Cowboys and Aliens, there's a real sense that Westerns tend to flop (Brokeback Mountain notwithstanding). It's probably more likely that boring Westerns flop, however. More importantly, Johnny Depp remains Johnny Depp to the point that even an underperforming movie like Dark Shadows still rakes in $239 million.
So what do you think? Fire off your silver bullets in comments.
Also in Wednesday morning's round-up of news briefs, Brazil makes a move to ban Anti-Islamic film in its borders. After Rupert Wyatt exits Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Fox comes up with possible short-list. And an aging gay drama set for New York Film Festival premiere becomes the Philippines' entry for Oscar.
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According to TMZ, a diver working on a water tank on the set of The Lone Ranger drowned this morning in Los Angeles: "Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the movie wasn't being shot today, and the person who died in the tank was prepping it — possibly cleaning it — when someone noticed no bubbles from the gear were surfacing. That's when they pulled the man out of the water." The Johnny Depp blockbuster is filming for a July 3, 2013 release. More info to come. [TMZ]
Per LaDonna Harris, president and founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity (ahem): "'Johnny is reprising the historic role of Tonto, and it seemed like a natural fit to officially welcome him into our Comanche family. [...] I reached out, and Johnny was very receptive to the idea. He seemed proud to receive the invitation, and we were honored that he so enthusiastically agreed. [...] Welcoming Johnny into the family in the traditional way was so fitting,' Harris said. 'He’s a very thoughtful human being, and throughout his life and career, he has exhibited traits that are aligned with the values and worldview that Indigenous peoples share.'"
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In an interview with EW, Lone Ranger co-star Johnny Depp explained the startling new look of his character, Tonto, who wears feathers and black and white face paint but, more importantly, has a bird sitting on his head. Inspiration came from a painting entitled "I Am Crow" by artist Kirby Sattler: "It seemed to me like you could almost see the separate sections of the individual, if you know what I mean," Depp said. Nobody knows what this means, but sure. WHAT ABOUT THE BIRD??
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While Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and director Gore Verbinski are working to turn Disney's rudderless blockbuster ship around with The Lone Ranger, Hollywood megaproducer and Twitter mainstay Jerry Bruckheimer has been busy dropping clues about and glimpses at the the making of the film from behind the scenes. If you are even the least bit interested in how this one's coming together, you could do worse than keep an eye on Bruckheimer's tweets.
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And just like that, a million Halloween couple-costumes are decided. Thoughts?
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Big, bad news, Lone Ranger fans: According to Deadline, Disney has decided to halt production on Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger, which was to star Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the titular masked crusader. The pricey blockbuster was to begin filming this October, but too many other $200M+ projects set up at the studio may have led to the project's demise.
He's 6'5", 220 pounds, and there's... one of him! According to Deadline, The Social Network's Armie Hammer has been tapped for Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger, in which he'll play the titular Old West masked crusader opposite Johnny Depp as Tonto. After the film's long and winding road to development, Hammer marks the last major piece of the HR puzzle although Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have yet to find the requisite love interest and villain. Any ideas as to who'd make a good foil to both Hammer's stoic All-American boyishness and Depp's worldly swagger? [Deadline]
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