Disney Pulls the Plug on Johnny Depp’s ‘Lone Ranger’ and Its $200 Million Price Tag

Please, tell me what was going on with Disney’s The Lone Ranger and why it would cost $200 million? That’s apparently the price tag that was attached to the film, but Disney has now pulled the plug on the film that was to be directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl) and star Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Barry Pepper and Helena Bonham Carter.

Deadline says “Everyone involved is still intent on the project and still in discussions to see what can be done. But the studio’s concern is spending over $200M on a Western, even with Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp and a comedic slant.”

To put that $200 million budget in context, the Coen brothers’ Best Picture nominee True Grit cost a reported $38 million. I’m just trying to think what exactly could have upped the cost on The Lone Ranger to such a high mark. Johnny Depp certainly cost a hefty sum, but after that where was the money being spent? How much CG do you need in a dusty western that was to follow the title character played by Hammer and Tonto as they look to take down the Cavendish gang after they attack the Texas Rangers. Dwight Yoakam was to play Butch Cavendish, leader of the Cavendish gang and the pic’s primary villain.

The film was being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer who tweeted only six days ago, “Burning the Midnight oil working on [The Lone Ranger]. Lots more to share soon…” With Bruckheimer involved I’m sure there would be plenty of explosions, but what else? What cost $200 million? There are no aliens, just dust and bullets… right? How can this not be cut down to, at most, $150 million or even $100 million? A film it sounds like it could be easily compared to is Columbia’s The Mask of Zorro, which was budgeted at $95 million back in 1998. The 2005 sequel The Legend of Zorro cost only $75 million.

The idea Lone Ranger was going to be that expensive is also a sign the focus wasn’t on story, but gimmicky effects. Perhaps it’s best it was shut down.

Filming was expected to begin this fall for a December 21, 2012 release up against The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 14 and Brad Pitt zombie apocalypse feature World War Z. I guess that could still happen as it is certainly a surprise the film would have gotten this far down the line only to be halted, but if we can have one less bloaty blockbuster hitting screens I’m all for it.