Fresh stills of Depp and Hammer (PHOTOS)
The Lone Ranger, then. Its director: Gore Verbinski. Its stars: Johnny Depp (as Tonto) and Armie Hammer (as John Reid, the Lone Ranger). Its producer: Jerry Bruckheimer. Its composer: Jack "The White Stripes" White. Its story: an odd couple tale of Western derring-do.
Disney's big budget adaptation of the much-loved TV serial about a masked ex-Texas Ranger and his Native American companion – all together now: "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" – has a lot to live up to, taking an iconic American hero and bringing him to the 21st century, but by the looks of the images below, it seems like they're on the right railway tracks.
In the article with USA Today that accompanies the photos, Depp is keen to distance himself from that sea captain – "I'm a long way from Jack Sparrow" – and Verbinski shares a few more details on his vision for the unlikely best friendship.
"It's a dysfunctional buddy movie," explains Verbinski. "It's two guys who start literally and figuratively handcuffed together who end up on the same mission with completely different world views. They sort of rub off on one another. But they have plenty of disagreements."
But what about Tonto? And what about that amazing bird on his head? "[Tonto] is an odd-shaman, an outcast from his own tribe, who has created his own mystical world," he adds. "[The bird on his headpiece is] his companion. It's a stuffed bird that he feeds birdfeed."
This is highly eccentric, highly encouraging news. As Rango fans will testify, Verbinski, Depp and Westerns go very well together, so the chance to see what they'll all do in a live-action take on the cowboy to end all cowboys is definitely something worth placing in the "keep an eye on this one" file.
British Lone Ranger fans will have to wait until August 9 next year, whereas all-American Tonto aficionados only have until July 3 before they can see what the gang have been up to.
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I love the creative team for this film...I want to be at the premiere....
Johnny Depp, it has to be good.
They couldn't find a real indigenous person to okay Tinting?
Johnny Depp is I believe half indigenous. Look it up.
Hope the film has soul and spirit. Looks promising!
"Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" flash back me years ago.
Does he wear the makeup and dead bird thru the whole picture? What's with the prosthetic nose? They made native actors wear those back in the 40s and 50s because someone somewhere decided natives have big honking broken-looking noses. Did he actually meet any Comanches or Apaches before they decided on the makeup? It certainly doesn't look like it. Johnny Depp is not half native. He was born in Kentucky and if he has any native blood at all, he's not even sure what it might be. I do enjoy watching him in most movies, but I am so fearful of this being a total train wreck. Of course, the mainstream viewer will probably not see anything wrong with the movie, the makeup or the dead bird.
According to Wikipedia, Depp is 1/8 Cherokee--great grandparent was full blood.
I was wondering the same thing, about the bird and the makeup, if he is like that through the whole film, I won't be going to it. There are enough myths and incorrect bits of info out there without a major star promoting them! This reminds me of movies and photos where all the men wore huge war bonnets no matter what they were doing. The ash and the bird, ugh if it all the time and still trying to figure out the bird as well.
http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2012/04/depp-admits-tonto-costumes-origin.html
Shame on Mr Depp for this. Unless this movie is a spoof, then Mr Depp is just one more person who is promoting falsehoods, and he took a very powerful picture by Sattler called "I am crow" and perverted it.
There was so much hype on this movie fixing the old stereo type, and Mr Depp chose to play this as yet another almost worse stereo type. Forget almost, it is worse! Because it's Depp people will say oh yeah that's true they must have worn that kind of stuff and done that . . .
I love Depp, always go to his movies, this will be a first I don't go see, and it may be my last Depp movie as I no longer respect him.
Depp was a fourth generation Kentuckian with Cherokee roots.
Its a movie, not a documentary about Native Americans or Shaman. If it were a documentary, no one on this post it qualified to judge what is or is not authentic or criticize Mr Depps heritage. Either watch the movie or do not watch the movie. Stop being negative and ruining it for other fan. Aka get a life lady.
First of all, it is a movie.Second of all, it brings attention to Native Americans. And if yuouy ask me, they have NEVER deserved what happened to their tribes. I just traveled thru the area he filmed this movie, and I heard NOTHING negative! And his visit to the Cherokee tribe showed his concern. The man is doing what HE believes and THAT should be enough. He is a great actor and has the guts to do films that aren't going to win oscars!!
OMG its a movie!! He is playing a Native Man in a prominent role! Why does it always have to be this way? I am Native, I am Chiricahua, he is trying to be respectful and did visit many. Get off your soap boxes!!There are many other problems our people have than concentrating on bashing something that is meant to be entertainment! Just my opinion.
Nat Che Ha
I agree with Nat Che Ha. It is entertainment people. There are alot more problems out there to get worked up over.
He feeds the dead bird birdseed throughout the movie? What? Doesn't that make him look like some kind of crazy weirdo? Doesn't sound appealing.
It's so interesting that we have gone from full bloods to half bloods to 1/8 bloods and soon to one drop blood, that is if it's cool....Love Depp and all he does...
Wow...drops of blood are a problem??? I don't understand, if you think about it it took one family member from two differing cultures to not see the difference to create 1/2. It teaches tolerence, love, and respect to reach one drop...yea that is cool!