The photograph looks like something out of a "Tonight Show" skit, with host Johnny Carson playing a character with the Indian name of Frowns With Bird on Head.
It's actually the first image from the upcoming film version of classic 1950s TV staple "The Lone Ranger." The photo was tweeted today by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and it's our first look at Johnny Depp playing the Native American sidekick of the masked lawman.
My first thought: When Depp played the Mad Hatter in "Alice in Wonderland" it didn't look like any Mad Hatter we'd seen before. This Tonto looks similarly off-kilter.
In case you weren't aware, the photo should make it obvious: This version of "The Lone Ranger" is a comedy. What the photo doesn't make clear is why this picture, or anything described as a comedic Western, would have a budget of $215 million.
Does anyone smell a Will Smith-starring "Wild Wild West" flop coming? I hope not.
Hey, $215 million is the figure that the production has been
reduced to, from the time that it was reportedly $250 million, which led Disney to kill the project (until reported 20 percent salary cuts were taken by Depp, Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski).
Behind the mask as the Lone Ranger is Armie Hammer, the guy still best known for playing the Winklevoss twins in "The Social Network," but who's quickly snapping up several handsome-leading-man type roles, like The Prince in the March 30 Snow White tale, "Mirror Mirror."
That's a comedic version too, and I can't help but remember how completely unfunny (read: dead serious) Clayton Moore's take on the Lone Ranger was all those years ago.
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