Disney surprised Comic Con this year with a teaser for THE LONE RANGER, starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp.
We’ve not seen it but from what we hear, it was… um, heavy on trains. Not too many shots of The Lone Ranger and Tonto horsing around, but mainly Tom Wilkinson (the film’s antagonist) talking about trains. Lots of talk about lots of trains. Wilkinson narrates the trailer and explains to us that, in the old west, trains will be the fastest mode of transportation and that whoever controls trains ‘controls space and time.’ There are conflicting reports regarding the audience reaction. The Hollywood Reporter says that fans were ‘wowed’ by it, whereas Collider claims it was unintentionally funny, because of all the train based content. Apparently it seemed less like an all-action Disney romp and more like one of those Pete Waterman hosted documentaries on Channel 5 about… trains.
But never fear, because The Lone Ranger (Hammer) and Tonto (Depp) soon turn up, and we see our hero drawing his piece and his native American mate holding onto the bottom of a speeding (yep) train.
With a troubled production and an unintentionally funny teaser, there seem to be some foreboding smoke signals on the horizon. But The Lone Ranger may yet save the day.
It is directed by Gore Verbinski and co-stars William Fichtner, James Frain, Ruth Wilson, James Badge Dal along with regular Depp collaborator Helena Bonham Carter and THN cult favourite, Barry Pepper.
It will be riding into cinemas on the 5th of July 2013.
Sources: Collider, The Hollywood Reporter
