Johnny Depp to Play "Tonto" in new Lone Ranger

[gammer]

Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland, Lone Ranger, and Pirates 4! Updated!



http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/09/24/johnny-depp-in-alice-in-wonderland-lone-ranger-and-pirates-4/

I just walked out of the incredibly lavish Walt Disney Studios Showcase that previewed all of Disney's upcoming films for the next few years. The finale featured a trifecta of announcements regarding the one-and-only Johnny Depp. First, it was announced that he would be playing the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Second, the USC Marching Band paraded into the theater triumphantly playing The Lone Ranger theme song, before Johnny Depp dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow appeared on stage, confirming his casting in that film. And last but not least, host Dick Cook mentioned that this might mean we'll see another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, confirming that a fourth film from that franchise is also in the works. Johnny Depp has definitely become Disney's biggest star!

My head is swirling right now with such a rush of news all coming from one sitting, but that's the latest straight from Hollywood. We saw some funky early concept art from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which will feature a combination of CGI and live-action visuals. Johnny Depp's involvement has been rumored for quite some time, considering he has starred in almost all of Burton's recent films. As for the Lone Ranger announcement, that definitely came out of nowhere. We knew the film was in development, but that's it. And last but not least, early discussion about a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is also news that has been rumored for a while, considering the third film made over $300 million last summer. This is definitely an exciting day today from one of the biggest and best studios in Hollywood!

Update! We've received word from Disney that Johnny Depp has been cast in The Lone Ranger as Tonto and not the Lone Ranger himself. Tonto was the Lone Ranger's Native American sidekick who helped out greatly in nearly every episode of the original radio show. As for the film itself, we confirmed back in March that writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the duo who wrote the Pirates of the Caribbean films, were writing the big screen version of this. It's a Jerry Bruckheimer production meaning that it's going to be one hell of a big adaptation, considering all of Bruckheimer's features have big budgets. As for a director, we don't yet know who that'll be, nor did they announce who will actually plane the Lone Ranger.

So I guess he's living up to his promise to make movies that his kids can watch...

[Tripe]

So is it ironic casting, reflecting the trend of not casting Native peoples to play Native Peoples or does Depp have some ancestry I'm not aware of?

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

Wow....and people got upset about the casting in Memoirs of a Geisha....

However this is in his IMDB bio:

He has said in interviews that he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent, with some Navajo as well. Asked the origin of his last name by James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, Johnny Depp said his name means "idiot" in German.

So, who knows?

[gammer]

So if he modeled his Jack Sparrow character after Keith Richards, who will he model his Tonto character after?

[Tripe]

Wow....and people got upset about the casting in Memoirs of a Geisha....

However this is in his IMDB bio:

He has said in interviews that he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent, with some Navajo as well. Asked the origin of his last name by James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, Johnny Depp said his name means "idiot" in German.

So, who knows?

Hmm interesting.

I wonder what Jay Silverheels would make of it.

So if he modeled his Jack Sparrow character after Keith Richards, who will he model his Tonto character after?

Jimi Hendrix? Or maybe Wayne Newton?

EDIT: Ooh I know, Buffy St Marie.

Apparently Carrie Underwood is Native American too, funny old world.

[wurwolf]

So if he modeled his Jack Sparrow character after Keith Richards, who will he model his Tonto character after?

Jimi Hendrix? Or maybe Wayne Newton?

EDIT: Ooh i know, Buffy St Marie

How about John Wayne?

[Tripe]

The Duke wasn't Native, it's fairly obvious he was Asian:

[Doctor Who?]

How is this casting any less racist then putting someone in blackface?

Disney may be the most racist company on the face of the earth.

[Tripe]

Who said it was rascist?

[wurwolf]

The Duke wasn't Native, it's fairly obvious he was Asian:

Too true. I stand corrected.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

So if he modeled his Jack Sparrow character after Keith Richards, who will he model his Tonto character after?

He's a fan of Brando....how about Sasheen Littlefeather?

[Doctor Who?]

Well your not allowed to cast white people as blacks now a days so how come it's ok for them to cast Depp as Tonto.

Seem kind of racist to me that they didn't get a native american to play the part.

[Tripe]

Well yes but like I asked, maybe it some sort of ironic casting. Who knows?

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

Well yes but like I asked, maybe it some sort of ironic casting. Who knows?

What....you mean like Tonto won't really be an Native American but the Lone Ranger will think he is?

Like George of the Jungle thought his elephant, Shep was a doggie?   

[Tripe]

Yeah maybe something like that, perhaps "Tonto" is really a shyster who trades on the old Noble and Wise Savage imagery who happens to get embroiled in the adventure.

I don't know.