Nordling here.
Once it was reported that Disney's THE LONE RANGER was going to cost upwards of $250 million, the studio rightfully balked, and put the film in turnaround. Granted, this film was going beyond the scope of a normal Western, introducing supernatural and shamanistic elements into the story, most likely coming from Tonto (Johnny Depp). But now that the cast, crew and studio have settled on a 20% pay cut, according to Variety, it's heigh-ho Silver away for the film and possible franchise.
Johnny Depp still has a lot of pull in Hollywood, and reports are that he really wanted this film to happen. He told MTV recently that "it's an opportunity for me to salute Native Americans," and even with Armie Hammer as the title character, Tonto would still very much be center stage in this story. Now that the supernatural elements have been sidelined (or at least reduced), I'm curious to see where the film goes now.
I'm not hoping for an overly dark and gritty take on the famous story - I think that would steer kids away, and this is a film that could very much bring Westerns back for a new generation - but I'm glad that they seem to be taking a more serious tone with the tale. It's still a long way off from filming, and Depp has a lot on his plate, but THE LONE RANGER will happen after all, and I'm glad.
Nordling, out.
