LOS ANGELES – The Lone Ranger seems to be riding into the sunset on its debut weekend.
The Western starring Armie Hammer as the titular character and Johnny Depp as Tonto was outpaced 3 to 1 by Despicable Me 2, which also opened Wednesday. The animated sequel collected $59.9 million in ticket sales so far, while The Lone Ranger earned a paltry $19.5 million.
The masked man’s dismal box-office showing may spell trouble for Depp and all but ends any hope for a Lone Ranger franchise.
Years in the making, Lone Ranger filming was shut down for weeks in 2011 because of soaring costs that still ended up in the $250-million range.
It’s a serious misstep for blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Gore Verbinski and megastar Depp, who partnered profitably on the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films. Depp’s take on Tonto has been compared unfavourably to Captain Jack Sparrow in face paint.
Comments