'Lone Ranger' rides on fee cuts, less Disney risk

DeppBruckheimerWalt Disney Galleries and Jerry Bruckheimer are becoming in the saddle for "Lone Ranger," but in a lower budget, with costs for principal gamers reduced 20% and Bruckheimer Films saying yes to pony up for just about any cost overruns.A few several weeks following the Mouse House balked in a steep $250 million price for that Gore Verbinski-helmed Western, the 2 sides have pared lower your budget nearer to $215 million and zeroed in on the era date which will change it from the original 12 ,. 21, 2012 berth, using its production start postponed from November to Feb, sources near to the project stated.Despite over-blown reviews that Disney drawn the plug around the bigscreen adaptation in August, the pic never was dead construction of recent Mexico sets were placed on hold, as producers lassoed within the plan for the Western.To be able to keep costs down, the script by Justin Haythe ("Revolutionary Road") and "Pirates from the Caribbean"-franchise scribes Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio was reworked to get rid of some pricey f/x sequences including supernatural elements, sources told Variety. Verbinski, Bruckheimer and stars The Actor-brad Pitt and Armie Hammer also reduced their costs by 20%, with certain obligations deferered before the box office results start arriving.When the budget goes past the brand new decided number, Bruckheimer -- not Disney -- would need to purchase overages.Disney rejected to comment Wednesday, and it has remained mother throughout the settling process."Lone Ranger" stars Hammer because the masked crime fighter and Depp as his Native American partner Tonto, together with Tom Wilkinson and Ruth Wilson. The actioner was always imagined like a high-profile tentpole for Disney and Bruckheimer. Disney is eager to utilize Depp again on the potential new franchise, following the 4th "Pirates'' pic hauled in additional than $1 billion in the worldwide box office. "Alice's adventures in wonderland," by which he performed the Mad Hatter, also gained a lot more than $1 billion. Studio continues to be marketing Depp's participation with "The Lone Ranger" since 2008."Lone Ranger" reteams Depp with Verbinski, who helmed the very first three "Pirates" photos (in addition to "Rango," which Depp voiced), and Bruckheimer, who created them.Inspecting your budget should not come because an unexpected, with galleries frequently brushing on the film's costs before a movie will get the greenlight, especially at cost-conscious congloms.Disney is at the time of creating several tentpoles with budgets north of $200 million, including "Oz, the truly amazing and Effective" and "John Carter."It's area of the Mouse House's mandate to concentrate more about qualities that all the company's divisions can usually benefit from by creating consumer items, amusement parks, videogames and Television show spinoffs. As Disney chief Bob Iger stated throughout a current earnings call with experts, the studio can make "films which are bigger and progressively more dangerous," but reduced how big its slate moving forward.The Lone Ranger character was initially introduced inside a 1933 radio show, produced by George W. Trendle and produced by Fran Strike, before turning out to be a TV series throughout the nineteen fifties and spinning off into movies and comicbooks.Disney required to lock lower a start date, considering the fact that Depp's dancecard is filling. He's presently shooting Tim Burton's adaptation of "Dark Shadows" at Warner Bros., and lately signed to create and star inside a remake of "The Thin Guy," and Television show "Kolchak: The Evening Stalker" at Disney. He's also thinking of getting a pic according to Paul Revere. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com