The Lone Ranger

[cherokeesam]

I'm not talking about historical figures. I'm talking about fictional heroes. I should have specified that. In other words, a literary/cinematic/TV character with a reputation already behind him that has previously headlined a franchise. That way, people aren't just turning up to see a western, but a new adaptation of a known (or previously known) franchise.

There hasn't been a Lone Ranger movie in years (and that 1981 movie "Legend of the Lone Ranger" with Klinton Spilsbury was a big box office flop). Now would be the time to do it properly and tell his story, a la Batman Begins or Casino Royale. Disney shouldn't bring werewolves and spirits into it. There was no need for something that radical for franchises such as Batman or Bond that were growing stale/ had stalled. I think this supernatural version of theirs could easily stall the Lone Ranger franchise again and then they'll think that people just aren't interested in it, when it was because of their ridiculous vision. I am sure audiences would appreciate a proper retelling of it with a good story and good action sequences and that could still do very well.

The difference being that Batman and Bond never fell out of the pop culture spotlight, even when the film franchises stalled. The Lone Ranger, on the other hand, quit being "cool" somewhere around 1959 and hasn't recovered since.

If you're going to "reinvent the Western" based on an established fictional character, there's not a lot of options. But I'd be willing to bet that more younger generations are more familiar with, say, Bonanza and Gunsmoke than The Lone Ranger. Or you could even try to out-Eastwood Eastwood, and reboot Leone's classics with a new actor playing The Man With No Name. (Hey, Jeff Bridges tried pretty successfully to upstage Duke himself as Rooster Cogburn, so it might be time to revisit The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.)

 

[SoulManX]

You know a good blueprint for this movie would have been Maverick...now there is a good retelling of an old western tv show

 

[rayc1971]

okay guys darkhorizons said the reason the lone ranger had a 250mil budget is because they had cji werewolfs in the plot are you kidding me are they nuts this sounds like crap come on true grit just proved that you can make a good western without gimmicks why cant they just do a traditional western like maverrick or true grit with a 150mil budget and a good villian and lets go

 

[Dark Raven]

^ read the previous page. We've already been discussing this.

The difference being that Batman and Bond never fell out of the pop culture spotlight, even when the film franchises stalled. The Lone Ranger, on the other hand, quit being "cool" somewhere around 1959 and hasn't recovered since.

If you're going to "reinvent the Western" based on an established fictional character, there's not a lot of options. But I'd be willing to bet that more younger generations are more familiar with, say, Bonanza and Gunsmoke than The Lone Ranger. Or you could even try to out-Eastwood Eastwood, and reboot Leone's classics with a new actor playing The Man With No Name. (Hey, Jeff Bridges tried pretty successfully to upstage Duke himself as Rooster Cogburn, so it might be time to revisit The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.)

If they're going to get anyone, it should be Hugh Jackman. He looks the most like Eastwood, although he looks more like Eastwood in High Plains Drifter or Joe Kidd than in the Dollar westerns.

They could remake The Good, The Bad and The Ugly first though, before A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, since it is actually a prequel, and kind of like "The Man With No Name Begins." If they want an actor for Lee Van Cleef's character, well someone who kind of looks like him now in his old age is Richard Chamberlain... not that I would think he seems tough enough.

 

[rayc1971]

some people said that they were going for a blockbuster and you cant do that with a straight up western thats bull true grit made a 180 mill domestic if the movie is good it will make money you dont need the lone ranger vs the wolfman to have a hit

 

[Liam_H]

Yes, True Grit was a hit but only domestically, did okay internationally. But Disney doesn't want that they want another billion dollar franchise. That's why they're trying to add all these fantasy elements in and having Depp play an out there character.

 

[Dark Raven]

Yes, True Grit was a hit but only domestically, did okay internationally. But Disney doesn't want that they want another billion dollar franchise. That's why they're trying to add all these fantasy elements in and having Depp play an out there character.

Before they can run, they need to be able to walk. With all the fantasy elements they might have a huge flop on their hands.

 

[Liam_H]

But if you throw Depp in some crazy outfit and doing funny/weird mannerisms the international crowd will flock to it. It'll basically be Jack Sparrow 2.0

 

[Paroxysm]

So glad this isn't happening anymore.

 

[Gold Samurai]

There hasn't been a Lone Ranger movie in years (and that 1981 movie "Legend of the Lone Ranger" with Klinton Spilsbury was a big box office flop).

I'm sure people forgot about this short lived 2003 WB series

[YT]hDuxIxi_IBM[/YT]

It took the formula from the popular series "Smallville" of the hero before he became a legend schtick.

okay guys darkhorizons said the reason the lone ranger had a 250mil budget is because they had cji werewolfs

Check page 12


http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=21197435&postcount=280

this is the exact same type of deal, they think they can just repeat formula in a different milieu with the same director and star and it will work, and if it doesn't, folk will come to see Depp anyway, I'm glad this movie got cancelled.

They probably wanted Tonto to getting into crazy antics like Jack Sparrow

Like the big wheel fight in POTC 2

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[GunRanger]

But if you throw Depp in some crazy outfit and doing funny/weird mannerisms the international crowd will flock to it. It'll basically be Jack Sparrow 2.0

He was going to play the character straight, and not like anywhere like Sparrow. This was in the same Hollywood Elsewhere report where the werewolves came from.

 

[Paroxysm]

Johnny Depp isn't native though so why not get a native actor to play Tonto?

 

[HighFivingMF]

Johnny Depp isn't native though so why not get a native actor to play Tonto?

Because none of them have starred in 3 billion-dollar grossing movies.

 

[SoulManX]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lone-ranger-director-producer-offer-224409

'Lone Ranger': Director, Producer Offer to Trim Fees as Budget Battle Rages

 

[C. Lee]

I'm sure people forgot about this short lived 2003 WB series

It was just a pilot....it never went to series.

 

[Paroxysm]

Because none of them have starred in 3 billion-dollar grossing movies.

Johnny Depp isn't native. Tonto is.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Johnny Depp isn't native. Tonto is.

He played one just fine in The Brave.

 

[dark_b]

'' three massive action set pieces involving trains remain, including one described as the biggest train sequence in film history.''

Verbinski knows how to direct fun action with energy.

i think its realistic to bring the budget down to 200. not official 200 for the public.. but real 200 millions.

 

[Paroxysm]

He played one just fine in The Brave.

Good for him.

 

[Doctor Jones]

But I'm pretty sure the man is part Native American.

 

[Asgard]

Lol, according to him anyway.

 

[Sawyer]

Nah, he looks it.

 

[Dark Raven]

If Johhny Depp wants to play a native American, why not make a film about Geronimo or Sitting Bull or Chief Cochise? The focus can be entirely on him and he can have his supernatural spirit journeys and werewolves popping up without ruining another character in the Lone Ranger.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Now here's something.

George Lucas's WWII airplane movie cost 30 million to make!

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810095581/trailer

Hemingway stepped back into the movie last summer, to work with Industrial Light & Magic, and their effects partner in Prague, UPP, to oversee the 1,500 effects shots that had to be created for the movie, one that came with a relatively modest budget of $30 million.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Now here's something.

George Lucas's WWII airplane movie cost 30 million to make!

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810095581/trailer

Hemingway stepped back into the movie last summer, to work with Industrial Light & Magic, and their effects partner in Prague, UPP, to oversee the 1,500 effects shots that had to be created for the movie, one that came with a relatively modest budget of $30 million.