THE WEIRD, MURKY CANCELLATION OF LONE RANGER

Huh. Many other places are saying it's still very much alive, with the producers working fevershly to bring the budget down to around $200mil so it can get going again.

Bring it down to $200 Million? Jesus wept. I'm not sure if there's a better place to post this than here, but whenever someone says the name Johnny Depp, I think of this bit from Alan Moore's interview with EW back in the summer of '08.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Moore 

I see a kind of degeneration, if you like, in terms of the imagination that those pioneers back in the 19th century were gifted with, and kind of recycled ideas that we tend to get served up today.... So often any film that comes out is going to be a sequel or a remake of a film that's previously existed — and I've said this before, that we will see Johnny Depp playing Cap'n Crunch. It will eventually get down to breakfast cereal mascots!

I feel for Armie Hammer...first JLA gets cancelled, now this.  Two iconic roles in blockbusters that had the potential to make him a mainstream star, both killed seemingly far along in development.

Snyder should probably cast him as Lex Luthor so he and Cavill can get over the curse together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeventyOne 

I feel for Armie Hammer...first JLA gets cancelled, now this.  Two iconic roles in blockbusters that had the potential to make him a mainstream star, both killed seemingly far along in development.

He'll have to take solace in his chiseled good looks and the endless parade of hot babes (or dudes for all I know) he undoubtedly gets to bang.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

Huh. Many other places are saying it's still very much alive, with the producers working fevershly to bring the budget down to around $200mil so it can get going again.

That's what I'm seeing as well.  Supposedly they have whittled it down to 232mil so far, but Disney isn't letting things resume until it is all the way down to 200.  Considering those involved, I'll honestly be surprised if they don't hit their goal and actually make this..................for better or worse.
 

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Originally Posted by Mr. Stockslivevan 

Fucking werewolves?

With penetration and everything?
 

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Originally Posted by CHUD Main Site Feed 

I’m interested to hear if there is anyone out there that was particularly disappointed, or particularly pleased to hear this project take the hard fall. 

Well until I read your outline in that piece Renn, I didn't give a snifters fart for this film, but knowing what Depp and co. were going for certainly does make it sound a lot more intriguing than it would have otherwise.

Ah well, cest la vie.

People are crying racist about Depp as Tonto, but I think it would be awesome.
 

Think about it. A straight adaption of Lone Ranger, with a 50's worldview and everything. Don't shy away from it, make it a centerpiece.

It would be controversial, but I can almost guarantee it would be a hit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by James May 

I'm amazed there was people that thought they wouldn't add some fantasy or sci-fi elements to spice this dusty old franchise up. Did y'all think they were making a straight western or something?

Yea, when the first POTC was successful I figured there would be a whole bunch of other attempts to reboot similarly dead genres with a similar aesthetic and style. Since I first heard this project announced years ago, with Depp attached as no less, I figured this was going to be a similar treatment of westerns.

However, considering the rumored price-tag and the quality of the Verbinski directed Pirates sequels, I'm not going to shed any tears over the loss of this film.

Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger. Coming 2012. Who thinks that sounds interesting or entertaining?

How about Leonardo DiCaprio in Howard The Duck 2?

I'm sorry, but I would honestly watch both.  Definitely the latter!

I'll be the odd man out and say I like the story as rumored/presented. It's easy to forget the first POTC, which is clearly the blueprint, was/is a rollicking good time and well done, with the unexpected mix of swashbuckling and dark fairy tale making for a really fun time. I also don't think the Lone Ranger is a straight-up western; it's essentially a comic book movie, really - yet another take on Batman/Zorro/etc. Not that a non-supernatural-inflected version couldn't be done well, but I don't view the proposed take as some kind of heresy on the characters or less worth telling. With very few exceptions, modern audiences simply aren't showing much interest in straight up westerns, and the studio's going to do what it can to generate interest and buzz.

Having yammered on about all that, I'm not losing any sleep over the project being cancelled. Depp might profit from making himself scarce for a bit, and this wasn't a film that needed to be made.