In a bit of a shock move, Jerry Bruckheimer’s Disney Western adap The Lone Ranger was cancelled recently by the House of Mouse. Why? Well the Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer movie was set to cost TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION dollars. For a Western. Effects heavy Cowboys & Aliens didn’t even cost half that!
Well Slashfilm are reporting that it’s not completely dead, and negotiations are ongoing to get a smaller budget of 210 million. Seriously? I fear Disney and Bruckheimer are thinking that the Lone Ranger title is a bigger draw than it actually is, and just because Johnny Depp is involved doesn’t mean it’ll be a hit. Cowboys & Aliens, which is a fine film, struggled to hit 40million opening weekend and if Lone Ranger made that money, it would be a huge blow. So whilst the movie may yet resurface, it might not be a sure bet.
Watch this space……
