Disney shuts down Lone Ranger

Disney shuts down production of 'Lone Ranger'Walt Disney Studios has shut down production of "The Lone Ranger," a big-budget film starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the title character, a person close to the production confirmed.

Depp has been the studio's most bankable star in recent years, anchoring two films that reaped more than a billion dollars in worldwide box office--this summer's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and the 2010 film "Alice in Wonderland."

Work on the modern retelling of the popular 1949 television western was halted amid budgetary concerns. Deadline Hollywood, which broke the news, reported that filmmakers were attempting to reduce the $250 million budget but had yet to reach the $200-million figure Disney wants to spend.SHOCKER!  Disney Halts 'The Lone Ranger' With Johnny Depp And Gore Verbinski

Comment:  As Nelson Muntz on The Simpsons would say: Haw haw!

This is perfect. Proving what I've always said, hiring Johnny Depp was a waste of money. Disney would've been much better off hiring an inexpensive Native actor.

Does Hollywood have to fire all its execs before it can make a sensible decision? How does a Western with one star become a $250 million movie? This should've been a $25 million movie with relative unknowns in the lead roles.

With bigger stars and huge special effects, Cowboys and Aliens cost only $100 million. So how did The Lone Ranger get to $250 million, which makes it the most expensive Western in history? Just guessing, but:

1) They wanted to recreate Little Big Horn with its Indian camp of 10,000-15,000 people.

2) The Lone Ranger and Tonto were supposed to fight an entire fleet of space aliens.

3) Hollywood executives are stupid.

For more on the subject, see Depp Unsure of His Native Ancestry and Depp's "Dilemma" Over Playing Mexican.

Below:  Armie Hammer.