Tonto in the spotlight: Jerry Bruckheimer talks about THE LONE RANGER

In an interview with MTV News at CinemaCon, producer Jerry Bruckheimer declared that Johnny Depp’s Tonto “will play a pivotal role in relating [the] story” in his new version of the Western classic The Lone Ranger, currently shooting under the direction of Gore Verbinski. “It’s him [Tonto] telling the story of the Lone Ranger. . . . It’s his voice,” Bruckheimer explained. Tonto is no longer “the servant that he was in the radio series and television series. He’s quite a different character.”

As for the plotline, Bruckheimer kept his statements vague but, as always, enthusiastic. The story “has some fantasy elements in it. It’s grounded, but there are spiritual elements to it,” the producer said. “It certainly has elements of humor, which Gore brings to everything he does, and great action as well. It’s kind of like The Odd Couple meets The Wild Bunch.”

Bruckheimer assured MTV News that the changes necessitated by Disney’s budget cuts last fall were “minor” and haven’t affected the scope of the film: “Minor things [were cut], nothing anybody will miss. The whole wonderful train sequences are still there. It’s a big movie,” Bruckheimer promised. “It really is.”

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the interview; you can watch the video HERE. To see a larger version of the photo of Johnny and Jerry Bruckheimer backstage at CinemaCon, CLICK HERE. Many thanks to Mr. Bruckheimer for tweeting the photo. You can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

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