Depp/Verbinski Teaming Up For THE LONE RANGER

Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp will collaborate on THE LONE RANGER.

Verbinski, whose last live action film was 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, is getting serious about making his next directing outing The Lone Ranger, the Disney pic that has Jerry Bruckheimer producing with Depp playing Tonto.

No word on when the film will begin production–Depp has no shortage of offers and has in the offing a re-team with Tim Burton on Dark Shadows–and the idea of Verbinski possibly doing this has been in the ether. I’m told that Verbinski is looking around for the next job after completing his first animated film as a director in Rango, which Paramount Pictures distributes next year. Depp, of course, voiced the goggle-eyed title lizard.