The Lone Ranger is a 2013 American Western action film directed by Gore Verbinski and written by Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Based on the title character of the same name, the film stars Johnny Depp as Tonto, the narrator of the events, and Armie Hammer as John Reid, the Lone Ranger. The story tells through Tonto's memories of the duo's earliest efforts to subdue local villainy and the unbridled westward expansion of American settlers and bring justice to the American Old West. William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, Ruth Wilson, James Badge Dale, Tom Wilkinson and Helena Bonham Carter are featured in supporting roles. This was the first theatrical film featuring the Lone Ranger and Tonto characters since William A. Fraker's 1981 film, The Legend of the Lone Ranger.
Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Blind Wink Productions, and Infinitum Nihil, production was plagued with problems and budgetary concerns, which at one point almost led to the film's premature cancellation. The film premiered at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park on June 22, 2013, and was released theatrically in the United States on July 3, 2013. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed only $260.5 million worldwide against an estimated $225–250 million production budget and an additional $150 million in marketing costs, making it one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time, losing Disney over $160–190 million. It was nominated at the 86th Academy Awards in two categories for Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Plot
In 1933, at a San Francisco funfair, a boy named Will who idolizes the legendary Lone Ranger encounters Tonto, an elderly Comanche man who starts recounting his experiences with the Old West adventurer, 64 years ago.
In 1869, lawyer John Reid returns home to Colby, Texas, via the uncompleted Transcontinental Railroad, managed by railroad tycoon Latham Cole. Unbeknownst to Reid, the train also carries Tonto and outlaw Butch Cavendish, who is being transported to his hanging after being captured by Dan Reid, John's Texas Ranger brother. Cavendish's gang rescues Butch, shackles John and Tonto together, and derails the train. Despite playing a role in rescuing passengers, Tonto is jailed upon being captured again. Dan deputizes John as a Texas Ranger, giving him a silver star badge that belonged to their late father, and with six others they go after the Cavendish gang. Cavendish's men ambush and kill their pursuers while Cavendish slays Dan and devours his heart as revenge for his imprisonment. Tonto escapes from jail, comes across the dead men and buries them. However, a horse awakens John as a "spirit walker", and Tonto explains John cannot be killed in battle. Tonto also tells him Collins, one of the Rangers, betrayed Dan and is working with Cavendish. Now thought to be dead, John wears a mask to protect his identity from enemies. Tonto gives John a silver bullet made from the fallen Rangers' badges and tells him to use it on Cavendish, whom he believes to be a mythical beast called a wendigo.
At a brothel Collins recently visited, Red Harrington informs them about Dan and Collins' fight over a cursed silver rock. Meanwhile, Cavendish's men, disguised as Comanches, raid frontier settlements. John and Tonto arrive after raiders abduct Dan's widow and son, Rebecca and Danny. Regretting his earlier actions, Collins attempts to help Rebecca and Danny escape, but is shot dead by Cole, who rescues them. Falsely claiming the raiders are Comanches, Cole announces the continued construction of the railroad, the nullification of treaties with the Native Americans, and dispatches US Cavalry Captain Jay Fuller to wipe out the Comanches. A Comanche tribe captures John and Tonto after the pair discovers railroad tracks in Native territory. The leader tells John of Tonto's past: as a boy, Tonto rescued Cavendish and another man from near-death and showed them a mountain full of silver ore in exchange for a pocket watch. The men murdered the tribe to keep the location a secret, leaving Tonto with guilt which led to him believing they were wendigos.
Tonto and John escape as the cavalry attack the Comanche. When they capture Cavendish at the silver mine, Tonto demands John use the silver bullet to kill him, but John refuses. Upon returning Cavendish to Cole and Fuller's custody, Cole is revealed to be Cavendish's partner and brother. Fuller, fearful of being labeled a war criminal for slaughtering the tribe unprovoked, sides with Cole. Rebecca is held hostage, and John is returned to the mine to be executed. Tonto rescues him and they flee, and the Comanches sustain severe casualties in the ensuing melee. Realizing Cole is too powerful to be taken down lawfully and regretful since his arrogance in ignoring Tonto led to the slaughter of the Comanches and the kidnapping of his loved ones, John dons the mask again.
At Promontory Summit, during the railroad's union ceremony, Cole reveals his true plan: to take control of the railroad company and use the mined silver to gain more power. John and Tonto steal nitroglycerin and use it to destroy a railroad bridge. With Red's help, Tonto steals the train with the silver, and Cole, Cavendish and Fuller pursue him in a second train on which Rebecca and Danny are being held captive. On horseback, John pursues both trains. After fights on both trains, John kills Cavendish and Fuller, and rescues Rebecca and Danny. Tonto hands back Cole the pocket watch, before the train drives off the destroyed bridge, drowning him underneath all the silver, hearkening to poetic justice.
The town recognizes John as a hero and offers him a law-enforcement position, but John declines and rides off with Tonto. Back in 1933, Will questions the truth of the story. Tonto gives Will a silver bullet, tells him to decide for himself and leaves in the form of a crow. Inspired, Will puts on a mask.
Cast
Johnny Depp as Tonto, the aged narrator of the events of his life as a Comanche warrior who recruited John Reid to bring justice to those responsible for massacring his tribe during his childhood, and terrorizing frontier Texas settlements during the 19th century. The character wears black-and-white face paint and a deceased crow on his head. According to Depp, the inspiration for the costume was a painting titled I Am Crow by Kirby Sattler. Joseph E. Foy portrays Tonto as a child. Armie Hammer as John Reid / Lone Ranger, a youthful, scrupulous lawyer later deputized a Texas Ranger, who protects his identity as the "Lone Ranger", a masked vigilante who seeks the perpetrators responsible for his brother's death. William Fichtner as Butch Cavendish, a ruthless and cannibalistic outlaw, whom Tonto believes is a wendigo. Travis Hammer portrays the younger Butch seen in flashbacks. Tom Wilkinson as Latham Cole, a burly and unscrupulous railroad tycoon. Steve Corona portrays the younger Cole seen in flashbacks. Ruth Wilson as Rebecca Reid, Dan's wife (later widow) and John's love interest/sister-in-law. Helena Bonham Carter as Red Harrington, an ivory-legged brothel madam who assists Reid and Tonto as she also wants revenge on Cavendish, whom she hints is the one who took her leg and ended her ballet career. James Badge Dale as Dan Reid, John's older brother who is killed by Cavendish. Bryant Prince as Daniel "Danny" Reid Junior. He is the son of Dan Senior and Rebecca, and the nephew of John. Barry Pepper as Captain Jay Fuller, an insecure and inexperienced United States Cavalry officer, who ended up being on Cole's payroll out of fear that the war with Comanches would be over nothing. Mason Cook as Will, a young boy living in 1930s San Francisco. Saginaw Grant as Chief Big Bear, leader of the Comanche. Harry Treadaway as Frank, a member of Butch's gang who enjoys women's clothing. Lew Temple as Hollis, a Deputy Ranger. Leon Rippy as Collins, a traitorous Deputy Ranger secretly working with Butch. Robert Baker as Navarro, a Deputy Ranger. Stephen Root as Habberman, president of the Transcontinental Railroad Company. Gil Birmingham as Red Knee, a Comanche warrior. James Frain as Barret, a member of Butch’s gang. Damon Herriman as Ray, a member of Butch's gang. Joaquín Cosio as Jesus, a member of Butch's gang. Matt O'Leary as Skinny, a member of Butch’s gang.
Production
Development In April 1997, Chris Meledandri of Fox Family Films announced that a new film based on the Lone Ranger was in development.
In March 2002, Columbia Pictures announced their intention to make a Lone Ranger film with Classic Media, who owned the film rights at the time. Husband and wife producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher joined the project. The tone was to be similar to The Mask of Zorro, and Columbia suggested that Tonto be re-written as a female love interest. The projected budget was set at $70 million. David and Janet Peoples were hired to write the script the following year, which was rewritten by Laeta Kalogridis. Jonathan Mostow was attached to direct by early 2005, but Columbia placed the film in turnaround. The Weinstein Company was interested in purchasing the film rights from Classic Media in 2007 but the deal fell apart when Entertainment Rights eventually optioned the property. They teamed with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and brought The Lone Ranger to Walt Disney Pictures. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who worked with Bruckheimer and Disney on the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, were being courted to write the script. In late March 2008, Elliott and Rossio were in final negotiations.
Disney then announced in September 2008 that Johnny Depp would be portraying Tonto while the Elliot-Rossio script was rewritten by Justin Haythe. Depp has stated he believes he has Native American ancestry, possibly from a great-grandmother. He has said that he considered the role a personal attempt "to try to right the wrongs of the past", in reference to portrayals of Native American culture in the media. The Elliot and Rossio script reportedly had a supernatural plot element involving coyotes. In May 2009, Mike Newell, who was then directing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for Bruckheimer and Disney, entered negotiations to direct Lone Ranger. Bruckheimer explained the following June that he wanted to wait before hiring a director, until Newell completed Prince of Persia, and until Depp finished filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. "The priority is most definitely Pirates 4", Bruckheimer commented. "They are going to cast the title role once they get a director and Disney greenlights. We don't have a director yet." In September 2010, Gore Verbinski was announced to be in negotiations to direct, and his hiring was made official that October. Verbinski had suggested giving the role of Tonto to Depp while filming the second Pirates of the Caribbean film. Filming was slated to begin after Depp finished work on Dark Shadows. Actor Armie Hammer was selected to play the Lone Ranger, a role that Bruckheimer described as being written for "a young Jimmy Stewart character".
Setback
On August 12, 2011, Disney announced that production on The Lone Ranger would be delayed due to budget concerns expressed by CEO Bob Iger and then Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross. The studio and production team constrained the film's allocated budget, with Verbinski, Bruckheimer, Depp, and Hammer, equally deferring 20% of their salaries to minimize the overall cost. After addressing the project's production problems in October 2011, Disney confirmed that the film was back on track after the budget was reworked to give the studio a chance to recoup its costs. Initially, filming was reported to begin on February 6, 2012, for a projected release date of May 31, 2013, which subsequently was moved to the Fourth of July weekend of that same year.