Johnny Depp in New York to tape THE LATE SHOW with David Letterman–new photos!

Johnny Depp arrived at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City this afternoon, Tuesday, June 25th, to tape an episode of CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman which will air on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Also appearing on the program that night will be comedian Adam Newman and musical guest Dawes, promoting their new album “Stories Don’t End.” Johnny, of course, will be talking about a little movie in which he plays Tonto to Armie Hammer’s Lone Ranger.

After the taping, Johnny returned to the gathered crowd and patiently greeted well-wishers and signed autographs,despite the churlish and aggressive behavior of some professional autograph-hunters who almost trampled ordinary folks who had been waiting in line for hours to see Johnny. (Videos are available on You Tube.)

Photos of Johnny arriving at the Ed Sullivan Theatre are available HERE.

The Zone thanks Chocolat and Lou Lou 63 for sharing the news and Theresa for the pictures. You can read more about Johnny’s appearance at The Late Show on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Jerry Bruckheimer receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame–Johnny Depp’s speech honors his “dear friend and trusted comrade”

The fan shouting “Attaboy, Jerry!” captured the can-do spirit of Jerry Bruckheimer as the intrepid producer received a long-overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. Mr. Bruckheimer was lauded on his special day by the Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, and the actor who sailed Mr. Bruckheimer’s Black Pearl into cinematic history, Johnny Depp. Here’s what Johnny had to say:

“Hi. (unfolding a piece of paper) So I’m going to read this thing because if I spoke it . . . (a woman interrupts, shouting ‘I love you,’ and Johnny replies, ‘Thank you. I love you, too.’) because I can’t speak in public. But let’s forget that for now. I can read in public.

“These days, the word ‘legend’ gets bandied around all too easily . . . but not here, and not today. My path was fortunate — very fortunate — enough to collide with this man some years ago, and certainly since my collaboration with Jerry, my life has never been the same. And probably won’t be, for a while, anyway. My path was . . . I thought it was a kind of quiet little path. Jerry snatched me up, and Jerry’s path is like eight superhighways stacked up to the sky, hurtling in every direction, toward that infinite horizon. He’s — well, he’s bigger than life. He’s Jerry Bruckheimer.

“Over the years of working together, Jerry’s become a dear friend, certainly, and a trusted comrade in battle. There are few people I would rather have in my corner than this man right here . . . and he’s been in my corner. There have been times in the past when I worked with Jerry where he had my back, every single time, when there were people pointing things at my back that wanted to hurt me — at least fire me. And Jerry saved me from that, as did Gore Verbinski.

“But without Jerry, there would be no Pirates, there would be no Captain Jack, there would be no revived Lone Ranger, there would be no reinvigorated Tonto. So I have a lot to thank him for. The man’s a legend to me. He’s a legend to us all — hence this congregation to celebrate him for his long-deserved star on the Walk of Fame. I, for one, could not be more honored to be here, and I’m humbled to be here. Few moments have really been merited more than this one, so let’s all celebrate the legend that is Jerry Bruckheimer.”

Johnny finished with a salute to Pirates, intoning “Where is the bloody rum? Why is the rum gone?” in his Captain Jack Sparrow voice, much to the crowd’s delight.

Photos from the ceremony are available HERE — and yes, that is Tom Cruise (who starred in Mr. Bruckheimer’s Top Gun) in a couple of the pictures.

The Zone thanks emma for sharing video of the ceremony, and bascan333 for sharing pictures. You can read more about the Walk of Fame ceremony on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Congratulations to Jerry Bruckheimer for receiving a star on the Walk of Fame. We hope it delights you the way your films have delighted us.

New interview with Johnny Depp: “Being adopted into the Comanche Nation . . . was one of the most incredible things that’s ever happened to me”

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp walking the red carpet for The Lone Ranger premiere in Lawton, Oklahoma on June 21 arm-in-arm with LaDonna Harris, his Comanche mother. In a recent video interview with Jake Hamilton of Jake’s Takes, Johnny addressed what it meant to him to be adopted into the Comanche Nation last year. “I know it was very important for you to get the approval and the blessing of the Native American community,” the interviewer said. “[. . .] I was wondering, of all the blessings you’ve gotten in your career, which one was most important for you to actually go and seek, and get?”

Johnny replied, “I’ve got to say, you know, the things that have happened to me in my life . . . how lucky I’ve been to become friends with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, Marlon Brando, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney — heroes who’ve been great mentors and great examples. When I was invited to be adopted into the Comanche Nation by LaDonna Harris, who’s a wonderful woman and she’s my Comanche mother — that was, aside from having kids, that was one of the most incredible things that has ever happened to me.”

Johnny’s trip to Lawton on Friday was his second in the last nine months; Rolling Stone describes his previous visit, for the Comanche Nation fair in September 2012: “A couple of months after his adoption, Depp made an unpublicized appearance at the Comanche Nation fair in Oklahoma, riding in a parade, plunging into crowds of children, visiting an old burial ground, where he wept. They gave him moccasins, and the otter-skin headdress of a tribal leader; he gave them one of his paintings. At the end of the day, Depp told Harris that he had never felt so accepted anywhere in his life.”

Pictures from The Lone Ranger premiere in Lawton are available HERE.

The Zone thanks emma for sharing the pictures, the Rolling Stone article, and the Jake’s Takes interview. More pictures from the event are available at JustJared. The full Jake’s Takes interview from The Lone Ranger press junket, including conversations with Johnny and Armie Hammer, is available HERE. You can read more about Johnny’s visit to Lawton on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Fans cheer Johnny Depp at THE LONE RANGER world premiere–new photos!

Eleven-year-old Bryant Prince, who plays Danny Reid in The Lone Ranger, took his first walk down the red carpet as a professional actor yesterday and learned a key lesson: “When I heard the screaming really begin that’s when I knew that Johnny Depp was here,” he told USA Today’s Bryan Alexander. “That sound can only be for Johnny Depp.” Several thousand fans lined the red carpet at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California for The Lone Ranger world premiere on Saturday; they were treated to stilt walkers, jugglers and appearances by Disney’s classic characters, as well as the chance to cheer for Johnny, Armie Hammer, Ruth Wilson, William Fichtner, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski.

A gallery of photos from the premiere is available HERE. The USA Today article about the premiere is available HERE.

The Zone thanks bascan333 for sharing the photos; you can read much more about The Lone Ranger premiere on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

BREAKING NEWS–Johnny Depp arrives for the world premiere of THE LONE RANGER!

A beaming Johnny Depp walked down the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California this afternoon for the world premiere of The Lone Ranger. Thousands of fans lined the red carpet, cheering, and Johnny stopped to shake hands, sign autographs, and pose for pictures with as many well-wishers as possible. Johnny wore a dark pin-striped suit with a white shirt and bolo tie, and his customary blue glasses. For a larger version of the photo of Johnny, CLICK HERE.

The Zone thanks mytreasure for sharing the photo; you can read more about The Lone Ranger premiere on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Congratulations to Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski, and the cast and crew of The Lone Ranger, and best wishes for a memorable and joyous premiere.

Johnny Depp arrives in Lawton, Oklahoma for THE LONE RANGER screening–new photos!

Wearing a colorful new medallion emblazoned with the likeness of his character Tonto, Johnny Depp walked the red carpet in Lawton, Oklahoma arm-in-arm with his adoptive Comanche mother LaDonna Harris today. The occasion was a special screening of The Lone Ranger for the Comanche Nation. Photos of Johnny greeting fans are available HERE.

The Zone thanks emma and Theresa for sharing the photos; you can read more about Johnny’s visit to Lawton on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

“A beautiful 14 years together”–Johnny Depp talks to EXTRA about his breakup with Vanessa Paradis

In a candid and relaxed video interview with Extra‘s Terri Seymour, Johnny Depp addressed, among other subjects, the breakup of his 14-year relationship with Vanessa Paradis (which was officially announced one year ago). The interview took place during The Lone Ranger press junket at Bishop’s Lodge resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here’s a transcription of that conversation:

Q: You also have spoken recently about becoming single. Has that been a strange adjustment for you?

JOHNNY DEPP: You know, the strangest thing is just that — in terms of adjustment — is just making sure that everybody’s okay. That’s really everything. You make sure first your kids are okay, and that they understand that it’s normal; there’s no reason to get sort of weird and hate each other. I think, you spent a beautiful 14 years together, you know . . . a couple of great kids. That’s win-win.

Q: In Rolling Stone, you said you can’t see yourself acting in ten years’ time. Please tell me that’s not true! You’re not going to go into retirement, are you?

JOHNNY DEPP: (slowly) Nah . . . I don’t know about retirement. I do love the process, I really do love making characters and making movies. But . . . yeah. I mean, sometime in the next ten years, you probably just want to kind of . . . be able to look around a little more. Wander a bit, you know. Maybe experience some degree of anonymity somewhere, or —

Q: Do you think that would ever be possible?

JOHNNY DEPP: — Or fish. Or . . . I don’t know.

Q: So, you are amazing as Tonto. How much fun was it for you to play him?

JOHNNY DEPP: Oh, it was great fun. Great fun. Because there are so many different sides to the character.

The Zone thanks emma for sharing the video; you can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum. The full Extra video interview is available HERE.

Jerry Bruckheimer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday–congratulations!

Cheers to super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who will receive the 2,501st Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony on Monday, June 24 at 11:30 a.m. Guest speakers at the ceremony will be Johnny Depp, star of Mr. Bruckheimer’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and the upcoming The Lone Ranger, and Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Wow!

Mr. Bruckheimer’s star will be located at 6838 Hollywood Boulevard in front of El Capitan Theatre — an ideal place for a man whose films have earned six Oscars and 41 Academy Award nominations (to date). “Millions have enjoyed Jerry Bruckheimer’s films and television productions. His blockbuster movies continue to transport audiences around the world into his fascinating productions,” stated Leron Gubler, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President/CEO and emcee of the star ceremonies. “We are proud to have him be a part of our legendary Walk of Fame!”

The Zone thanks emma for sharing the news; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Congratulations to Mr. Bruckheimer on this well-deserved honor!

Johnny Depp fields LONE RANGER press questions in New Mexico–new photos!

For more than an hour on Wednesday, The Lone Ranger‘s top-tier talent — a six-member panel consisting of Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, William Fichtner and Ruth Wilson — answered questions from a room full of reporters assembled at the Bishop’s Lodge Resort in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Johnny didn’t flinch when asked whether his interpretation of Tonto is essentially “a red version of black face.” Johnny replied, “I expected it. I still expect it.” But he stands by his portrayal. “There’s a lot of history with Native Americans that I learned before taking on this role [. . .]. It was a role that I wanted to bring justice to.”

Regarding his work as Tonto, Johnny said, “I have done no harm and represented at the very least the Comanche nation in a proper light. There’s always going to be naysayers. Everybody’s got an opinion.”

Pictures from the Santa Fe press junket are available HERE.

The Zone thanks emma for sharing the news and emma, Evochka, Aida and summer70 for sharing photos. You can read more about The Lone Ranger press junket on the Zone’s News & Views forum and the Pit General Discussion forum.

Johnny Depp to appear at a private screening of THE LONE RANGER in Lawton, Oklahoma on Friday

Johnny Depp continues his commitment as an adopted son of the Comanche Nation by making a special appearance at a private screening of The Lone Ranger in Lawton, Oklahoma on Friday, June 21 — the day before the film’s world premiere in California. The screening at the Carmike Cinemas in Lawton is by-invitation-only for members of the Comanche Nation. According to lawtoninfo.com, “It appears at this time that 4 sets of bleachers will be set up on either side of a red carpet in the theater parking lot — again, for guests with advanced tickets — to catch Depp’s arrival at the theater.” The bleachers will not be open to the public; the seating is for invited guests.

Johnny has visited Lawton, Oklahoma before; Zone readers will recall that Johnny attended the Comanche Nation Fair in September 2012 with his Comanche mother, elder and activist LaDonna Harris (who adopted Johnny into the tribe in May 2012). At this time, he completed his adoption ceremony. In his new Rolling Stone interview, Johnny explains his desire to re-interpret the role of Tonto as a Comanche shaman and relates that to his commitment to the Comanche Nation. “I wanted to maybe give some hope to kids on the reservations. [. . .] They’re living without running water and seeing problems with drugs and booze. But I wanted to be able to show these kids, ‘[expletive] that! You’re still warriors, man.'”

The Zone thanks emma for breaking the news; you can read more about Johnny’s visit to Lawton on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Johnny Depp on cover of July 4th ROLLING STONE; new interview!

Johnny Depp, garbed as The Lone Ranger‘s Tonto, graces the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone (July 4); the issue features a lengthy, insightful profile of Johnny by Brian Hiatt called “Johnny Depp: An Outlaw Looks at 50 . . . Single, Sober, and Still Wondering What It’s All About.” Definitely a magazine to add to your collection! Johnny conducted the interview in his Los Angeles office a few weeks before his birthday — wearing his customary attire, which Hiatt describes as being “dressed like a hobo whom other hobos would worry about.”

Regarding his hectic schedule and the relentless public scrutiny that accompanies it, Johnny confides to Hiatt that he thinks “every day” about retirement: “I can’t say that I’d want to be doing this for another 10 years.” But that doesn’t mean the decision to leave filmmaking is “imminent,” according to Hiatt, so Deppheads can relax a bit. “I think while I’ve got the opportunity and the desire and the creative spark to do the things that I can do right now, I should do them,” Johnny states. “And then, at a certain point, just take it down to the bare minimum and concentrate on, I guess, living life. Really living life. And going somewhere where you don’t have to be on the run, or sneak in through the kitchen or the underground labyrinth of the hotel. At a certain point, when you get old enough or get a few brain cells back, you realize that, on some level, you lived a life of a fugitive.”

The Zone thanks emma for sharing the Rolling Stone interview; you can read more about it on the Zone’s News & Views forum. To see the full cover photo, CLICK HERE.

TV ALERT–Johnny Depp to appear on THE LATE SHOW with David Letterman on Thursday, June 27!

As part of the promotion for the upcoming release of Disney’s The Lone Ranger, Johnny Depp will appear as a guest on CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday, June 27, 2013. Also appearing on the program that night will be comedian Adam Newman and musical guest Dawes, promoting their new album “Stories Don’t End.”

New York area residents who might be planning to wait outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre in hopes of seeing Johnny should be advised that the taping will not take place on Thursday the 27th: The Late Show is taping only on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.

The Zone thanks Chocolat for sharing the news; you can read more about Johnny’s appearance on The Late Show on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Press junket for THE LONE RANGER begins in Santa Fe on Monday

After literally years of preparation, the Jerry Bruckheimer/Gore Verbinski update of The Lone Ranger will screen for members of the press on Monday, June 17, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Representatives of the Santa Fe city government announced that the picturesque city will host more than 300 film and broadcast journalists beginning on Monday for the official press launch for The Lone Ranger, starring Johhny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as John Reid. Receptions for the press will be held around Santa Fe on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Johnny is currently filming Wally Pfister’s Transcendence in New Mexico, so having the press junket in Santa Fe rather than Los Angeles helps him honor his commitment to both movies. Furthermore, much of The Lone Ranger was filmed in New Mexico, so the setting is appropriate.

The Zone thanks emma for breaking the news; you can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

The world premiere of The Lone Ranger is now just one week away! It will be held at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, on June 22.

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT shows video of Johnny’s fall from his LONE RANGER horse

Do you remember when Johnny Depp appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman in February, and described how he fell off his horse while filming The Lone Ranger? “All I saw in front of my eyes were these sort of very muscular horse legs and the striations of muscles moving. This kind of . . . [pause] . . . death machine,” Johnny told Dave. “And one word popped into my head: hooves.” On their June 13th show, Entertainment Tonight aired a brief behind-the-scenes clip from The Lone Ranger filming which showed Johnny’s fall from his horse . . . and the crew rushing toward him to be sure he was okay. Security chief Jerry Judge gets there in a hurry!

For those who missed the show, the clip is available on the Entertainment Tonight website. Check it out HERE at approximately the 2:00 mark.

The Zone thanks FANtasticJD and Ophelia for sharing the clip; you can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

INTO THE WOODS gets a release date–December 25, 2014

Rob Marshall’s film of Stephen Sondheim’s fairy-tale-themed musical Into the Woods got a release date and a possible new cast member today! Into the Woods is now officially scheduled to debut on Christmas Day 2014, where the Disney release will compete directly with Sony’s musical Annie.

Tracey Ullman is in negotiations to join the cast; Into the Woods would be her first film since 2007. The Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-winning Ms. Ullman would play the mother of Jack the Giant-Killer. She would join an ensemble that already includes Meryl Streep as the Witch, Johnny Depp as the Wolf, James Corden and Emily Blunt as the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, and Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal as brother-princes who woo Rapunzel and Cinderella. Merry Christmas!

The Zone thanks humiliatedgrape and Lou Lou 63 for breaking the news; you can read more about Into the Woods on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

Happy 50th Birthday to Johnny Depp!

Today is Johnny Depp’s 50th birthday, and on behalf of the worldwide community, we would like to send our heartfelt best wishes to Johnny. We hope he enjoys a wonderful birthday celebration with his loved ones, and that the year to come, with the filming of Wally Pfister’s Transcendence and Rob Marshall’s Into the Woods, and the worldwide debut of Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger, brings him great joy and creative fulfillment. We are looking forward to more live musical performances from Johnny, too! Above all, we would like to thank Johnny for letting us take this journey with him, and for being a constant source of inspiration, entertainment, and delight, both onscreen and off.

A pleasant trip down Memory Lane is available at The Hollywood Reporter, which has a retrospective of Johnny’s career in photos HERE. Many thanks to Sleepy for sharing the gallery.

May the happiness Johnny Depp has given to all of us be returned to him in abundance. Zoners from all over the world are sharing their birthday greetings on our Pit General Discussion forum, and are making donations to our Birthday Project in support of Project Pueblo’s work for the Navajo Nation to celebrate this special day. Happy Birthday, Johnny!

THE LONE RANGER on cover of Summer 2013 TOTAL FILM!

The Summer 2013 issue of the UK’s Total Film features The Lone Ranger‘s Johnny Depp (as Tonto) and Armie Hammer (as the Ranger) on the cover, and includes an entertaining four-page feature article by Holly Grigg-Spall entitled “Return of the Native.” The journalist spoke to Johnny, Armie, and director Gore Verbinski about their approach to the Western epic. “No one had heard the Lone Ranger’s story from Tonto’s perspective,” Verbinski explained. “This film, it could be called Tonto and the Masked Man.” That’s an intriguing alternate title, since it makes Tonto and the Ranger equal partners.

“We kept all the archetypes — the white hat, the silver bullet, the white horse — but we created them through the thread of Tonto. This is an origin story,” Verbinski said, “and it was Tonto that created the Lone Ranger. That’s what made the project interesting to me.”

The Zone thank Lu for sharing the Total Film article; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum. A larger version of the Total Film Summer 2013 cover is available HERE.

Armie Hammer talks about bonding with Johnny Depp during THE LONE RANGER filming

In an interview with the Sunday Herald Magazine published on June 2nd, Armie Hammer responded to a journalist’s questions about what it was like to work with Johnny Depp on the often arduous shoot of their forthcoming Western, The Lone Ranger. Here’s what Armie had to say about Johnny:

Q: The Lone Ranger’s companion, Tonto, is played by Johnny Depp. How did you and Johnny bond off-screen?

ARMIE HAMMER: We probably bonded over music and guitars more than anything else. We both love guitars. He’s a fantastic guitarist and has this amazing taste in music. So we just hung out and went to dinner. It was fun. We jammed together a couple of times.

Q: What were the best and worst things about working with Johnny?

ARMIE HAMMER: Best thing is probably how good he is at his job, how much everybody respects him and how, equally, he brings that respect back. Worst part is seeing that the guy can’t lead a normal life, no matter how hard he tries. He can’t go to a restaurant and have a meal … because as soon as he walks in, suddenly it’s just mayhem.

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the interview; you can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum and the Pit General Discussion forum.

The Zone’s 2013 Birthday Project has now raised $6,000 for Project Pueblo! Won’t you join us?

One of the Zone’s most cherished traditions is our annual birthday gift for Johnny, called the Birthday Project. Each year we choose a charity which is connected to Johnny’s philanthropic interests, pool our modest contributions, and make a Zone donation to a worthy cause in his honor, as a way of celebrating and thanking Johnny for all the joy he has given us over the year. For this year’s project, we are partnering once again with Project Pueblo to bring water systems to Navajo families, and we have now raised more than $6,000!

Photos of Navajo families who received “Johnny Depp water systems” installed by Project Pueblo volunteers after last year’s Birthday Project are available HERE. Won’t you help us bring this joy to more families?

If you’re not familiar with Project Pueblo, please visit the Zone’s Birthday Project forum HERE for more information.

To donate by Paypal, please use this yellow “Donate” button to link to our 2013 Birthday Project Paypal account:





If you prefer to donate by check, CLICK HERE to visit the Johnny Depp Zone’s Birthday Project forum for the mailing address.

We will be accepting donations through Johnny’s birthday, June 9, 2013. Please join us in saying “Thank you” and “Happy Birthday” to Johnny Depp!

New behind-the-scenes footage from THE LONE RANGER–see the video here!

To whet our appetite for the upcoming release of The Lone Ranger — less than a month away now for North American Zoners — Disney has released a new featurette which shows Armie Hammer, the Lone Ranger himself, performing a scary stunt that involves standing on the top of a towering platform in the middle of the Utah desert, with only a harness keeping him from plummeting to the bottom of a canyon. And no, this wasn’t filmed in a nice safe studio surrounded by green screen, with the dizzying heights and fabulous terrain to be computer-generated. No, Armie did this live and in person. Watch the video here:

The Lone Ranger, which stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson, and Helena Bonham Carter, opens in theaters July 3rd. The Zone thanks humiliatedgrape and Theresa for sharing the video; you can read more about the film on the Zone’s News & Views forum.