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

by Alex Billington
September 24, 2008

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.

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Related categories: Casting, Hype, Movie News

http://cad.cx/blog Colin Dean

Tim Burton doing Alice in Wonderland? Neat, but will it be as twisted as American McGee's Alice, which I'd also heard stirrings regarding?
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Wow. That sounds totally amazing. But Depp in THE LONE RANGER? If one of his projects is to fail, that will be the one.
http://twitter.com/efrain efrain

Nah, Johnny Depp (or his agent) makes some great choices. It would be awesome to see him as the Lone Ranger, as well as the 'sancho panza' type character he was _supposed_ to play in Terry Gilliam's failed-before-launch Don Quixote spin (see "Lost in La Mancha"); as well as a if-only Robert Rodriguez film focused on Depp's character in "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" - The Man With No Eyes. I've been an Alice in Wonderland fan all of my life. I loved Disney's cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland since i was a kid, and even enjoyed the TV version several years ago. It would be awesomely perfect to have Burton do this film. I hear an Australian girl has already been cast as Alice. another Pirates doesn't thrill me much, but Depp is worth the price of admission. :: efrain
vegeta

You could tell watching behind the scenes footage from Pirates that Depp had tons of fun making the films- perhaps even more so than his co-stars. Disney must be his new favorite playground.
Matthew

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 come on you got to be shiting me 1 was great 2 was good 3 sucked a lot. it was to long, I had not clue what the hell was going on, and the ending was fucked up. 2007 MOVIES SUCKED.2008 MOVIES KICKED MOTHERFUCKING ASS FROM IRON MAN TO THE DARK KNIGHT!!!!!!! THIS was the SUMMER OF GREAT MOVIES. WILL NEXT SUMMER KICK ASS I HOPE SO!!!!!!!
Keith

Johnny Depp came out on stage as Sparrow? Seriously? The guy that never wanted to be part of "the machine" put on a show at Disney Studios for some media outlets? Wow. I'm glad we will be seeing him in Alice in Wonderland and Pirates 4 btw. Not sure about the lone ranger.
Red Buttons

You were able to predict a fourth pirates, interesting. Anyway, you don't have to use capital letters all the time.
harrison

hes perfect for the mad hatter, a 4th pirates wont hurt, 3 kindve left a bad taste in the mouth...but the lone ranger? dont think he could could pull off the lone ranger too well, seems like hes been typecasted as a crazy guy most of his career so it should be nice to see him in a different role
http://bellsouth.net sean

Yes!, i know i don't have to use capital letters all the time but i do alot!, and you obviously caught me during the moment i first found this webpage reading what it says about pirates 4 !!!. But!, yeah!, i guess your kinda write!, i was able to predict pirates 4 but, no!, i'm not a fortune teller or sykick!, if that's what were saying or thinking?!?!. I just so happen to search on the internet every once in awhile about pirates of the caribbean 4, and today is just one of those days that i've done that!=).
Red Buttons

Cool, I understand. I am interested in a Fourth pirates movie. I hope it is as good as the second.
janet

MTV is reporting that Depp is playing Tonto not the Lone Ranger. I don't know which is true but this whole thing is odd. I think the only win will be Alice in Wonderland but I could be wrong.
http://bellsouth.net sean

Great!, i'm glad you understand!=). Yeah!, i'm also interested in a pirates 4 movie!=), infact!, i think that this is my most favorite set of movies, out of all the ones to choose from, this is my most favorite indeed!. O!, believe me, i know for a fact it'll be as great as the second one!, but i kinda enjoyed the third one more!, and i'm also hoping that the fourth one will the best out of all four so far, or if theres gonna be more then four, then i guess we'll have to wait until a possible 5th and may be even a possible sixth one also!, if that's even possible at all?!?!?. But, hey i don't wanna sound to crazy or to far ahead!!!, if you get my drift???.
http://www.skonmovies.com/ Sean Kelly

Saying that Johnny Depp is in almost all of Burton's films is a little bit of exaggeration. At most, he has been in half.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

The post has been updated above... Depp will actually play Tonto in The Lone Ranger! What do you guys think about this news? I must admit I'm caught up in all the excitement, but I do think Depp is always a great addition to any movie.
http://designblurb.com/ Eli

It doesn't hurt to have Johnny Depp in so many films because he's great at changing his character and appearance for each one. He's one of the actors that earns his salary, imo.
sean

PIRATES 4..... honestly we all saw it coming!
Brian

I don't care what anyone says: I am totally stoked that Tim Burton is going to do Alice in Wonderland! I think that will be awesome. He'll really make it twisted, and dark. And Depp playing TONTO!?! Really? Hmmmmm
sol

Leave the buzzkillers Will and Elizabeth out of the next pirates movie and they should redeem the franchise. I literally fell asleep during all their predictable "romantic moments".
dom

Ohh Lone Ranger - I so wanted to see that come back!! And with Johnny Depp = awesome news.
REAL6

Pirates 4 i would love to see. Leave will and Liz out of it. Just Sparrow and barbosa.
troy

Pirates 4, I cant wait! Alice and wonderland should be awesome, and it will be interesting to see johnny depp as the madd hatter, should be good. overall awesome news that i've been waiting for.
Ryan

At the risk of being the voice of dissent, I worry about Tim's Alice in Wonderland. I've long thought that Tim Burton is an excellent visual designer and has excellent connections to talent (Johnny, HBC, etc.), but I feel that his recent directorial output has not been on par with some of the better films of the past (Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, etc.) I also worry because of the precedent that people like Todd McFarlane and American McGee have set, making Alice in Wonderland dark just because they can and want to, not because of any valid artistic reason. In the stories themselves, other than the Jabberwock, there isn't a whole lot that's scary according to the text, just befuddling. I have faith that Tim can bridge the gap and make something that is artistically fascinating without just doing whatever it is that he wants without regard for the text, but I can't help but worry just a little.
http://valeriewriter.wordpress.com Valeriewriter

All good news. I mean, can someone mention a bad movie JD has made?
Lefthanded

This has got to be a rumor! Johnny Deep as Tonto? I love the guy, but come on! I'm huge fan of the Lone Ranger comics and old TV show. I can't really see Deep. (Although he's never disappointed). And maybe Samuel L. Jackson could play The Lone Ranger. Hi-Ho Silver MuthaF*****!. But I draw the line at Jerry Bruckheimer. Horrible. That guy ruins movies faster than Dane Cook. The Lone Ranger will end up carrying an assault rifle, and riding an exploding horse.
Ryan

The Astronaut's Wife? Secret Window? The Ninth Gate? Private Resort.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/66/C0726650.html Crapola

Pirates 4? Wasn't Pirates 2 just a lead up to Pirates 3 which was a complete bucket of shite.
http://bellsouth.net SEAN

No!, it was not!, the first three movie were completely awesome!. Pirates of the caribbean 4: the fountain of youth will be coming to theaters officially on may 20th, 2011 friday!. The reason i know, is because i went to http://www.ohjohnny.net/ ,where i discovered they have the amount of days listed at the top of the fron webpage, of how many days until pirates 4 is released to theaters and the amount of days that it was, had counted all the way, exactly to may 20th, 2011 friday!. Believe me!, i did the math, and counted it carefully!, so i know i did it correcly!, and believe me!, that website definately does NOT lie, what so ever!, and i know that from experience viewing that site multiple times!=).
http://bellsouth.net sean

Pirates of the caribbean 4 will offically be released to theaters on may 20th, 2011 friday, and then will be released to blu ray disc and dvd on december 6th, 2011 tuesday!=). The movie trailer and clips and tv spots will be released in march and april and may of 2011!=). The movie soundtrack will be released on may 17th, 2011 friday!=).
http://bellsouth.net Sean

Well it as it has just turned out as of a few days ago, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 will be released to movie theaters on May 25th, 2012 Friday, which is the same month and day that pirates of the caribbean 3 came to theaters back in 2007 !!!!!!!!!!!!. The movie will then be released to dvd and the blu ray disc on december 4th, 2012 tuesday, which was the same month day for pirates 3's dvd/bluray release. The soundtrack will be coming out on may 22nd, 2012 tuesday, which is the same month and day from pirates 3's soundtrack release date from 2007. The movie trailer will be out on the internet on march 19th, 2012 monday at midnight, on the night of that date!, which is the same time that pirates 3's movie trailer came out on the internet back in may 2007.
http://bellsouth.net Sean

If anything!, pirates of the caribbean 4 wont start being filmed by anyone until late 2010 or early 2011 !, and then will be released like in may, june, or july of 2012, in the movie theaters. Then it'll be released to dvd and blu ray disc in stores that them in like december 2012 !.............................
Torry

OKay so most people didn't like Pirates 3. I admit I did, but that is also because I am a huge Pirates fan. But it ended where everything started technically. Elizabeth was waiting for Will. Will wanted Elizabeth and loved her and couldn't have her. Barbossa stole the Black Pearl and left Jack. Jack was in a small ship while cleverly foiling Barbossa's plans and Gibbs was getting drunk in Tortuga. So my question is how are they gonna pull off a 4th movie? I mean I will see it and all, but how good could it be, everything was wrapped up and completed.
natlie

well, torry, i can answer one thing maybe two things, the writers first did the first two movies of shrek, well they first did the first shrek and then the first pirates and the first national treasure and then the second shrek and then did the second and third films of pirates and the second national treasure, so to this day, terry and ted can not do any more shrek because they're too busy doing more pirates, more national treasure, and the first film of prince of persia. oh, and the forth pirates film will a spin-off like those shrek specials. savvy?
Torry

What I meant was that how are they gonna be able to do a 4th movie without seeming like they are dragging the whole story line through the mud? There is only so many times they can stretch the story line. And I have heard that none of the other actors have signed on to do the film. So, thats great in there is new characters that the character Jack can work off of, but its bad as in everyone liked the other characters and they were vital in bringing out different parts of Jack's persona. Its just gonna be a little weird seeing a movie with a character that you already know his history interacting with new major characters that you know nothing about. Get what Im saying?
http://BELLSOUTH.NET SEAN

They'll find a way!, you'll see!, believe me!, you will see!. Even if you think you wont, you will !, so no worries there!=).
Gma

Johnny Depp as Tonto - why not? Let's not forget Mr. Depp is part Native American - Cherokee I believe. He is such a great character actor - look at the differences in the roles he's played. He can adapt to anything. Can't wait to see POTC4. Captain Jack Sparrow is one of my all time favorite movie characters - and I've been around a loooong time. Go Johnny! WooHoo!
http://bellsouth.net Terminator

Pirates of the caribbean 4, from my understanding is coming out on may 25th, 2012. If anyone here is interested in finding out much more info about pirates 4, go to the websites ohjohnny.net and caribbeanpirate.skyrock.com. On those two websites you'll be able to find out how days from each day until pirates of the caribbean 4 comes out and even monthly or sometimes even weekly and daily update news about pirates of the caribbean 4 !.
http://gmail.com PANASONIC FANATIC

Terminator, your right!, it is coming out on may 25th, 2012 friday, and that johnny depp website you've mentioned still shows that it's coming out on that date. By the way check out the latest pirates of the caribbean 4 movie news on comingsoon.net, and google news. Those two sites are usually very good sites for pirates of the caribbean 4 movie news also...