The Lone Ranger (2013 film)
The Lone Ranger | |
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North American release poster | |
Directed by | Gore Verbinski |
Produced by |
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Screenplay by | |
Story by |
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Based on | Lone Ranger by |
Starring | |
Music by | Hans Zimmer |
Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli |
Editing by |
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Studio | |
Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release date(s) |
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Running time | 149 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $215–250 million[2][3] |
Box office | $73,236,000[4] |
The Lone Ranger is a 2013 American western vigilante film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films and directed by Gore Verbinski. Based on the radio series of the same name, the film stars Armie Hammer in the title role and Johnny Depp as Tonto and explores the duo's efforts to subdue the immoral actions of the corrupt and bring justice in the American Old West. William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, Ruth Wilson, James Badge Dale, and Helena Bonham Carter are also featured in supporting roles. The film marks the first theatrical film featuring the Lone Ranger character in over 32 years.[5] It was released theatrically on July 3, 2013 to both critical and box office disappointment.[6]
Contents[show] |
Plot[edit]
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In 1933 at a country fair in San Francisco, a young boy named Will, who idolizes a legend known as the Lone Ranger, encounters a seemingly ordinary mannequin that is revealed to be a real native American named Tonto, an elderly Comanche spirit warrior, who proceeds to recount his experiences with lawyer John Reid, the original Lone Ranger.
Shifting to 1869, Reid is returning home via the uncompleted Transcontinental Railroad, managed by railroad tycoon Latham Cole, en route to Colby, Texas to visit his older brother and Texas Ranger, Dan Reid. Unbeknownst to John, the train is also carrying Tonto and outlaw Butch Cavendish, who is being transported for his hanging after being apprehended by Dan. Cavendish's gang, however, hijacks the train, which derails soon after, resulting in Butch escaping and Tonto's arrest by John and Dan. The elder Reid recruits John as a Texas Ranger and the two are enlisted to track down the Cavendish gang alongside a group of five other Rangers.
A few days into their expedition, the group is ambushed in a canyon by Cavendish's men who kill the Rangers, including Dan, who has his heart cut out by Butch himself. John is injured as well in the attack and dies, only to be found and revived by a white spirit horse. When Reid awakens, he is informed by Tonto of his new status as a "spirit walker" (one that has been to the other side), and reveals that he cannot be killed in battle. Tonto also confirms that Collins (one of the six original Rangers) betrayed Dan and is working alongside Cavendish, a "wendigo". Reid and Tonto hunt for Butch and his gang throughout the desert with a white horse, which is believed to be sacred by the Indians.
As John is thought to be dead, he is made to wear a mask by Tonto to protect his identity as Butch would try and kill him permanently if he knew John had survived.They then travel to a bawdy house which had been visit by Collins recently.There,they find Red Harrington,who gives them brief information about the fight between Dan and Collins over some silver rock.John touches the silver rock and experiences a hallucination.Tonto then informs him that the silver is cursed.
Cast[edit]
- Armie Hammer plays John Reid, a morally scrupulous lawyer and ex–Texas Ranger who protects his identity as "The Lone Ranger", a masked vigilante who seeks the perpetrators responsible for his brother's death.[7]
- Johnny Depp plays Tonto, an American Indian who recruits Reid to bring justice to those responsible for slaying his tribe during his childhood.[7] Joseph E. Foy portrays Tonto as a child.
- William Fichtner plays Butch Cavendish, a ruthless and cannibalistic outlaw who is believed to be a wendigo by Tonto.[8][7] Travis Hammer portrays the younger Butch seen in flashbacks.
- Tom Wilkinson plays Latham Cole, a burly railroad tycoon.[9] Steve Corona portrays the younger Cole seen in flashbacks.
- Ruth Wilson plays Rebecca Reid, Dan's wife and John's love interest.[7]
- Helena Bonham Carter plays Red Harrington, a peg-legged brothel madam who assists Reid and Tonto in locating Cavendish.
- James Badge Dale plays Dan Reid, John's brother who is killed by Cavendish.[10]
- Bryant Prince plays Danny Reid, Rebecca's and Dan's son.
- Barry Pepper plays Captain Jay Fuller, a corrupt United States Cavalry officer.[7]
- Mason Cook plays Will, a young boy living in 1930s San Francisco.[11]
- JD Cullum plays Wendell.
- Saginaw Grant plays Chief Big Bear.[12]
- Harry Treadaway plays Frank, a member of Butch's gang.[11]
- James Frain plays Barret, one of Cole's industry foremen.[13]
- Joaquín Cosío plays Jesús, another member of Butch's gang.
- Damon Herriman plays Ray, another member of Butch's gang.[11]
- Lew Temple plays Hollis, a Deputy Ranger[14]
- Leon Rippy plays Collins, a traitorous Deputy Ranger secretly working with Butch.
- Stephen Root plays Habberman, the railroad's president.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
In January 2007, The Weinstein Company and its home-video division Genius Products planned to partner with the UK-based Entertainment Rights on a deal for home-video, digital and video-game distribution of properties from Classic Media, which Entertainment Rights had just announced a deal to acquire. Under the plan, Genius would distribute six to 12 Entertainment Rights / Classic Media properties annually on home media. The Lone Ranger was among those Classic Media properties.[15] Instead, in April 2009, Boomerang Media bought out Entertainment Rights' holdings, including Classic Media,[16][17] which was acquired by DreamWorks Animation and renamed as DreamWorks Classics.[18][19]
While ownership of the Lone Ranger property was shifting ambiguously, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Entertainment Rights by May 2007 had set the film up at Walt Disney Pictures as Lone Ranger, under the leadership of then studio chairman Dick Cook.[3] Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who had worked with Bruckheimer and Disney on the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, were being considered to write the script, [20] and entered final negotiation in March 2008.[21] Disney then announced in September 2008 that Johnny Depp would be portraying Tonto.[22]
The Elliot/Rossio script had a supernatural tone, including a plot element involving werewolves,[3] and was subsequently rewritten by Justin Haythe.[23] 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.[24] However, Bruckheimer explained the following June that he wanted to wait on 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."[25] In September of 2010, Gore Verbinski was hired to direct. Verbinski had actually suggested the role of Tonto to Depp while filming the second Pirates of the Caribbean film.[26] Filming was slated to begin after Depp finished work on Dark Shadows.[27] Actor Armie Hammer was selected to play the Lone Ranger, a role that Bruckheimer described as being written for "a young Jimmy Stewart character".[28][29][30]
Setback[edit]
"When you’re spending other people’s money, you want to give them back a return on their investment. Every time you go out there, you have to swing for the fences."
On August 12, 2011, Disney announced that production on The Lone Ranger would be delayed due to budget concerns accosted by CEO Bob Iger and then studio chairman Rich Ross.[3][31] 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.[3] 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. Filming was initially reported to begin on February 6, 2012, for a projected release date of May 31, 2013,[32] which was subsequently moved to 4th of July weekend of that same year.
Filming[edit]
Principal photography began on March 8, 2012, and soon after the first photograph of Hammer as the Lone Ranger and Depp as Tonto was released.[33] Filming locations spanned across six states: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California.[28] Some filming occurred specifically near Creede, Colorado, in June 2012;[34] Moab, Utah, in July 2012; and Cimarron Canyon State Park in August.[35] Second unit (stunt/blue screen) work commenced in late September 2012 in the parking lot of Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia, California.[citation needed]
The film was shot in the anamorphic format on 35mm film, with cinematographer Bojan Bazelli utilizing Panavision Panaflex Platinum cameras and C- and G-Series lenses.[36]
The shoot was met with several problems including inclement weather, wildfires, a chickenpox outbreak and the death of crew member, Michael Andrew Bridger on September 21, 2012.[3][37][38] Several cast members had to receive formal training on horseback riding, gunslinging and lassoing.[39]
Industrial Light & Magic created the visual effects for The Lone Ranger.[40]
Music[edit]
In April 2012, it was announced that Jack White was hired to compose the score for the film.[41] However, White later declined to work on the film's music, citing scheduling conflicts and was replaced with Hans Zimmer in December of that year.[42] In March 2013, Michael Einziger tweeted that he was working with Zimmer on the score.[43]
The soundtrack was issued by Walt Disney Records in two releases; Zimmer's film score and the "inspired by" concept album by on July 2, 2013.[44][45]
Release[edit]
As a result of the production setbacks, The Lone Ranger faced numerous shifts in release dates. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures initially scheduled the film for a mid-2011 release date,[46] but Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides replaced it, because the latter was considered a priority for the studio and because The Lone Ranger did not have a director.[47] After Gore Verbinski signed for director, The Lone Ranger's release date was moved to December 21, 2012. However, budget concerns and negotiations resulted in a production delay, so the release date was pushed further back to May 31, 2013.[48] By mid-2012, DreamWorks' Robopocalypse was facing its own production delays and could not meet its July 3, 2013 release date. Therefore, Disney had The Lone Ranger assume its place for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.[49]
The first trailer debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and theatrically on October 3, 2012.[50] Television promotions for the film aired during Super Bowl XLVII.[51] Disney used the film's production connection to the Pirates of the Caribbean series as the main tagline in the film's marketing, as well as featuring the film's two main characters in promotional materials for Disney Infinity.[52][53]
The Lone Ranger was selected as the closing film for the Taormina Film Festival[54] and held its world premiere on June 22 at the Hyperion Theater in the Hollywood Land district of Disney California Adventure, with proceeds being donated to the American Indian College Fund.[55][56]
The film will be remastered and released in IMAX theaters on August 2, in several international territories including the United Kingdom and Japan.[57]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
After a very weak opening weekend, various sources included Forbes, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Variety, and USA Today, characterized the film as a box office flop.[58][59][6][60][61]
The Lone Ranger earned $48,936,000 in the United States and Canada, as of July 7, 2013, and $24,300,000 in other countries, as of July 7, 2013, for a worldwide total of $73,236,000.[62]
In analyzing all the costs for not only producing but marketing The Lone Ranger, The New York Times estimated the film cost $375 million to make and market, would need to take in an estimated $800 million worldwide to break even, after accounting for revenue splits with theater owners.[6] Preliminary reports had the film tracking for an $60–$70 million debut in North America.[63] The film earned $2 million from late showings on Tuesday and $9.67 million on its opening day.[64] During its opening weekend, the film debuted in second place with $29.3 million over three days and $48.9 million over the five-day frame.[65] In analyzing the film's disappointing opening weekend, the Wall Street Journal noted that the film that took first place that weekend, Despicable Me 2, opened to $142.1 million on a $76 million budget, while The Lone Ranger made just under a third of that ($48.9 million) and had more than three times the budget ($250 million).[66] According to Disney's own numbers, 68% of ticket buyers were over 25 and nearly 25% over 50, a much higher percentage than is typical for the company.[66] In analyzing the international opening, where it generated $24.3 million from 24 markets, a Disney executive characterized the performance of in Russia and Australia as better than in the United States, but "softer than we would have liked."[66] The Hollywood Reporter noted that the losses from the film could surpass $150 million, with Disney executive VP Dave Hollis calling these results 'very disappointing'.[67]
The New York Times and USA Today noted that The Lone Ranger continued the string of high-budget Western films that failed at the box office, including 1999's Wild Wild West, which cost $170 million but made $114 million, and 2011's Cowboys & Aliens, which cost $160 million but made only $100 million in 2011, or even the lower budget Jonah Hex, which in 2010 brought in less than $11 million on a budget of $47 million.[6][61] Phil Contrino, chief analyst for Boxoffice.com described the film's box office performance as "the kind of bomb that people discuss for years to come" due to its use of otherwise successful director, producer, and stars.[6]
Critical response[edit]
The Lone Ranger received mainly negative reviews, with a 25% rating on the film-critic aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, based on 159 reviews. The site's consensus says, "Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp make for an appealing pair of leads as the Lone Ranger and Tonto, but they're not enough to make up for The Lone Ranger's bland script, bloated length, and blaring action overkill."[68] The film holds a score of 37 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 37 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[69]
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "a jumbled botch that is so confused in its purpose and so charmless in its effect that it must be seen to be believed, but better yet, no. Don't see it, don't believe it."[70] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post was equally scathing, calling it a "bloated, misshapen mess, a stillborn franchise loaded with metaphors for its feeble attempts to amuse, excite and entertain."[71] Charlie McCollum of the San Jose Mercury News said, "In the end, The Lone Ranger is one hot mess—an entertaining one, to be sure, but still a mess."[72] Tim Walker of The Independent gave a mixed review, praising Gore Verbinski's for "employ[ing] the Old West to good effect, with gorgeous widescreen vistas that owe everything to Sergio Leone and John Ford." However, he added, "it takes a full hour for Reid to don his mask, and then there’s another 80 unremarkable minutes to go."[73]
However, among some of the positive reviews, James Verniere of the Boston Herald said, "The film, part spoof, part pastiche, is chockablock with violent incident, spectacular settings, Buster Keaton-esque action and colorful characters out of spaghetti Westerns of yore."[74] Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com called it "an ambitious and inventive film that’s always trying to tweak formula and play with audience expectations. If anything, it’s overstuffed with imagination and ideas...."[75] Jon Niccum of the Kansas City Star states, "The movie takes a more old-fashioned approach to thrills. It appears to showcase as many stuntmen as it does digital compositors."[76] Mark Hughes of Forbes enthused, " it's about a hundred times better than you think it is. It’s a wonderful movie." He praised the "fine attention to detail", the acting, stunts and effects.[77]
Frank Lovece, writing for Film Journal International, addressed critics' concerns over the film's tone by pointing out that, "[T]he movie is told in flashback from the perspective of a wizened, quite eccentric character — the working definition of the film-school trope 'the unreliable narrator.' ... Whatever really happened out on the frontier, this is the story as Tonto remembers it, animist mysticism and all."[78]
Controversy[edit]
Some controversy concerned the casting of Depp as a Native American and whether the film would present a positive and accurate representation of the Comanche, despite the film's producers citing the presence of an adviser from the Comanche Nation.[79] Depp has stated that 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.[80][81]
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