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Lone Ranger Fan Club |
New Lone Ranger Movie
Posted by Terry Rossio on his forum at www.wordplayer.com
(Read the whole post at the link above.)
How is your adaption of the Lone Ranger going?
As always, painfully slow. Or slow and painful. But I can say I'm very hopeful and excited
for our story and our approach. It has the potential to be good.
What stage are you up to?
Breaking the story, character design, working through the unfolding narrative,
designing the world.
Elliott and Rossio writing Lone Ranger script
(From Entertainment Weekly) Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, writers of Disney's Pirates of
the Caribbean movies, are in final negotiations to pen a live-action movie adaptation of
The Lone Ranger for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Ranger, which began as
a radio show in the 1930s, went on to become a huge franchise, launching films, a TV
series, toys, comics, books, and more. The most recent movie, 1981's The Legend of
the Lone Ranger, failed miserably, marking star Klinton Spilsbury's final major role in
Hollywood. Elliot and Rossio are seen as a good fit to revive the franchise, as they
previously breathed new life into Zorro (the hit movie The Mask of Zorro) as well as old
pirate stories, with a little help from Johnny Depp.
'Pirates' team wrangling the Lone Ranger
Compiled by Joe Southern
The Silver Bullet
Before Jerry Bruckheimer decided to produce “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of
the Black Pearl,” nobody in Hollywood would have thought twice about making a pirate
movie, let alone one based on a theme park ride. Now, a trilogy and a couple billion or
so later, pirates are the latest craze and people can’t get enough out of what once was
a dead film genera.
One can only hope he’ll do the same thing for Westerns, particularly The Lone
Ranger.
“It’s being written, well it’s not being written now, but it’s about to be written,” he told
MTV News. “We were just working out the story before the strike and hopefully that will
end soon and we can continue on.”
MTV News goes on: We, in this case, means ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ writers Ted
Elliott and Terry Rossio. But don’t think that means the titular hero will be anything like
Captain Jack,
cautions Bruckheimer, who revealed that the story wouldn’t be an update, but instead
something of an origin story. That means adhering to the strict moral code laid down by
‘Lone Ranger’ creator Fran Striker. ‘I wouldn’t say it’s an updating of the tale, I would
say it’s kind of getting back to the
roots of the tale,’ Bruckheimer confessed. ‘Where it originated from — it’s about Texas
Rangers, so we’re going to take it to how the characters are created.’”
Last May, when “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” was going strong in the
theaters, writers Elliott and Rossio revealed to Variety that they were working on a Lone
Ranger project for Bruckheimer.
According to Bill Warren’s interview with Bruckheimer, which appeared in the June
issue of Starlog Magazine, Bruckheimer said, “The first picture I ever made was a
Western — The Culpepper Cattle Company. I hope I can make a big-scale Western
someday.”
JimHillMedia.com reported last year that “definitive proof that this Lone Ranger revival
project actually is in the works” came Feb. 22, 2007, when the Walt Disney Company
purchased the following domain names: LONERANGER-MOVIE.COM,
THELONERANGER-MOVIE.COM, THELONERANGER-THEMOVIE.COM.
“According to several studio insiders that I spoke with over the past week, this ‘Lone
Ranger’ project is supposed to be Disney's designated blockbuster for the summer of
2010,” Hill reported.
He continues: “Mind you, what really helps in this particular situation is that
Bruckheimer has reportedly recruited Rossio and Elliot to write the screenplay for this
big budget Western. And given all the great work they did on ‘The Mask of Zorro’ and
‘The Legend of Zorro’ these two clearly have a gift when it comes to reinventing (more
importantly, reinvigorating) seemingly played-out film genres.
And I know of at least two divisions of the Walt Disney Company that really want this
‘Lone Ranger’ film project to be an enormous success:
Disney Consumer Products — which (provided that this film is a huge hit) will then be
able to sell Lone Ranger-themed toys, games, action figures, costumes and
accessories to young boys the world over.
Walt Disney Imagineering — which wants the new Western to be a real blockbuster
so that they can then use The Lone Ranger to help revive a long-dormant project to
build an elaborate outdoor stunt show in the area that Disneyland's seriously-under-
used Big Thunder Ranch facility currently occupies.
You know what's kind of ironic about this whole situation? In order to acquire the
rights to use the Long Ranger characters in a movie, Walt Disney Studios first had to
pay Entertainment Rights PLC an enormous amount of money. “And what's so ironic
about that?” you ask. Well, back in March of 1988, in order to finally gain control of the
Disneyland Hotel, the Walt Disney Company first had to buy the Wrather Corporation.
Which, in addition to owning that Anaheim resort, also owned all of the rights to The
Lone Ranger. But because Mouse House officials were so eager to recover the $85
million that they’d just spent to acquire Wrather, they quickly turned around and sold off
all of those old television and radio shows to the highest bidder, which is how
Entertainment Rights PLC eventually wound up with control of the Lone Ranger
characters.
And from what I've been hearing, Disney then had to agree to pay this UK-based
media company more than 10 times what the company originally made off of the sale of
all of those old Lone Ranger TV shows and radio broadcasts in order to be able to use
these characters in this new Jerry Bruckheimer film.
And then — when you factor in that this ambitious new Western will probably cost
just as much as “The Curse of the Black Pearl” did to produce (I.E. $120 - $135 million)
— well, Mouse House officials are really hoping that millions of people worldwide will be
willing to part with a little silver in order to see the Lone Ranger and Silver up on the big
screen again.”
Hi-Yo Silver, away!
Bruckheimer to make Lone Ranger
movies for Disney!
I said I wouldn't believe it untill I heard it from the horse's mouth. Well, this appears to
be it. This news comes from MTV News:
"Hi-Ho Silver, away!"
A modern movie hero who doesn't curse, doesn't use slang, who doesn't drink or
smoke or visit saloons, who believes in God and country and a strict moral code, who
only uses guns when he has to, and even then never shoots to kill? The American
West is about to get a dose of reserved cowboy justice, as super producer Jerry
Bruckheimer has confirmed to MTV News that he’s developing a "Lone Ranger" series
of films.
"It's being written, well it's not being written now, but it's about to be written," he said of
the rumored project. "We were just working out the story before the strike and hopefully
that will end soon and we can continue on."
We, in this case, means "Pirates of the Caribbean" writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio.
But don't think that means the titular hero will be anything like Captain Jack, cautions
Bruckheimer, who revealed that the story wouldn't be an update, but instead something
of an origin story. That means adhering to the strict moral code laid down by "Lone
Ranger" creator Fran Striker.
"I wouldn't say it's an updating of the tale, I would say it's kind of getting back to the
roots of the tale," Bruckheimer confessed. "Where it originated from — it's about Texas
Rangers, so we’re going to take it to how the characters are created."
It would be a somewhat fitting next step for Bruckheimer and crew, considering that
fifteen years ago the two genres that were universally acknowledged to be dead were
pirate movies and westerns. When you've conquered one, why not go for the other?
On the future of that first lucrative franchise, meanwhile, Bruckheimer said the ime
isn't yet right to discuss "Pirates 4."
"Not yet, not yet," he said, smiling. "We're still counting the money from the last one!"
Sony is no longer making
Lone Ranger movie
NOTE: Sony's Red Wagon Productions has announced that it is no longer
involved in the Lone Ranger movie project. As far as we know, the movie will
not be made. We will update this page if that changes for any reason.
At this time the script for the movie is in development. No one has been cast for the
parts. A filming date has not been set and there is no date yet for it to reach theaters.
Does anyone have any updated information about this project? If so, please let us
know at lonerangerfanclub@sbcglobal.net.Thanks!
September 2006: This is the latest word about the movie: Jonathan Mostow hasn't
been involved with the project for a while now, so Sub-Mariner doesn't really impact us.
September 2006: It has been reported that Jonathan Mostow is clearing his schedule
to write and direct the new Sub-Mariner movie for Marvel. At this time we don't know
what that means for the Lone Ranger movie. Our best guess is there will be no new
Lone Ranger movie in time for the 75th anniversary in 2008.
March 2006: Classic Media has informed me that the part of Tonto in the new movie
will be played by a man and not a woman, as had been rumored!
February 2006: Lone Ranger "in development"
I spoke with a representative with Red Wagon Productions. They are not releasing any
additional information at this time except to say that it's "in development." I've been
assured we will receive information as it becomes available. Stay tuned!
Movie postponed again, June 2005
We have recently received word that the new Lone Ranger movie has been postponed
to either 2008 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the radio program or to 2009 for
the 60th anniversary of the television program.
Director, new writer hired, December 2004
The movie now has a director, Jonathan Mostow, who directed Terminator 3 and U-571.
The script is currently being re-written by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis, who has writing
credits for X-Men, Alexander, Laura Croft: Tomb Raider and Scream 3. Kalogridis also
developed and wrote the television series Birds of Prey for the WB network.
The latest information as of September 2004:
Two years ago it was announced that Columbia Pictures had optioned to do a new
Lone Ranger movie. Since then very little information about it has come to light. We
recently asked Classic Media the status of the movie and were told that it is in “script
development.” Shortly afterward fan club member and noted movie critic Leonard Maltin
posted this update on his Web site (www.leonardmaltin.com): “I’ll have some more Lone
Ranger merchandise news in the weeks ahead, and if all goes well, we’ll be seeing a
new Lone Ranger movie in 2006, courtesy of producer Douglas Wick (Gladiator, Stuart
Little). I would encourage Mr. Wick to watch the WB network’s embarrassing series pilot
for a Ranger series, which aired last year, and make a vow not to repeat their mistakes.”
History prior to the above information
Here is the latest news we have on this project. In 2002, Columbia Pictures optioned to
make a Lone Ranger movie. The husband and wife producing team of Doug Wick and
Lucy Fisher of Sony-based Red Wagon Productions -- the people who produced
Gladiator and Stuart Little -- are heading this project. The buzz at the time is that the
part of Tonto would be played by a woman. That rumor has members of the Lone
Ranger Fan Club and Lone Ranger fans in general outraged.
Last year David Webb Peoples was hired to write the screenplay. He is credited with
such works as the Oscar-winning Unforgiven and Twelve Monkeys.
Obviously there are some top-notch people working on this film. Despite the rumor of
Tonto as a woman, this is shaping up to be a high-caliber production. So far we have
heard nothing about casting, filming or even a potential release date. We will keep you
posted here as things develop. If you have any knowledge about this project, please
don't hesitate to let us know.
Ta-i Kemo Sabe, welcome!
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You have reached the home
of the Lone Ranger Fan
Club. Click on the links
below to explore the best
source of information on the
Web about the Lone Ranger
and Tonto. Be sure to click
on the "Join the Fan Club"
button to learn how to
become a Lone Ranger
Deputy and receive The
Silver Bullet newsletter!
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