Johnny Depp Calls The Lone Ranger Script "Funny"
Posted 01.18.11 by Ryan
2011 is proving to be a busy year for Johnny Depp.
In addition to the animated Western Rango opening on March 4, Depp can be seen in his fourth adventure as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on May 20, a month after Depp begins production on an adaptation of Dark Shadows with director Tim Burton. Depp can also be seen in the adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary sometime this year.
Then there's The Lone Ranger from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, whom Depp worked with on Rango and the previous three Pirates movies. While there is currently no production date scheduled for the movie, Depp told EW the script, originally announced to be written by Pirates screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and now in the hands of Revolutionary Road screenwriter Justin Haythe, is "really funny."
I think it’s going to be good, when we have a chance to put it up on its feet. What we’ve got so far screenplay-wise is really great, really funny.
The Lone Ranger will see Depp assume the role of the Lone Ranger's Native American partner, Tonto, a role that Depp, who is part Cherokee, feels will pay tribute to his heritage.
I always felt Native Americans were badly portrayed in Hollywood films over the decades. It’s a real opportunity for me to give a salute to them. Tonto was a sidekick in all the Lone Ranger series. [This film] is a very different approach to that partnership. And a funny one I think.
Currently, Depp is the one actor cast in The Lone Ranger, with Depp recently stating that he thinks Brad Pitt or George Clooney would be "great" in the title role.