The Lone Ranger

[Gaith]

Jump to 2013, and we have another LR film, coming at time where some superhero productions are (once again) all the rage in fantasy, which only serves to show a TLR (like Legend of the Lone Ranger before it) to be a glaring opposite--something plain or boring. a guy wearing a mask, but he's not much else.

this movie or any its earlier incarnations, he is just your standard western hero in mask. There is nothing sexy or adventurous like Zorro.

I think this is really the core problem. At one point, the movie was going to have werewolves in it, and I think that could have gone a long way towards making things more interesting, because the Ranger is really little more than a sword-free Zorro knockoff.

... Anyhow, the preliminary box-office info is in: it's a disappointment for sure, but probably not a Speed Racer-level bomb; it'll join Prince of Persia and The Sorceror's Apprentice, and John Carter of M*** in the "failed franchises" category.

Pirates 5 is due two summers from now. If I were a Disney exec, I'd be re-reading that script super-hard to make sure it's a fine one.

 

[The Wormhole]

Personally, I wonder how Disney execs are going to react if JJ Abrams stays true to form and delays the release date of Star Wars like he did his two Star Treks. Somehow, under these circumstances I don't think Disney is going to be as understanding as Paramount was.

 

[DarthTom]

DarthTom makes it sound like a reasonable person analyzing the two properties prior to release could have distinguished between one as a likely success and the other as a likely failure. that's preposterous.

Meh. At least Pirates was a successful theme park ride at all of the Disney parks for decades before they decided to make the film - one especially successful with children.

The Lone Ranger did not have that much backend support.

BTW, Ranger cost Disney $250 million to make and made $49 million it's opening weekend.

Disney execs must be pulling their hair out.

Failing to fire off a silver bullet, Disney's The Lone Ranger posted a grim five-day debut of $48.9 million, far from enough to make up for the high cost of the Johnny Depp-Armie Hammer Western.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Personally, I wonder how Disney execs are going to react if JJ Abrams stays true to form and delays the release date of Star Wars like he did his two Star Treks. Somehow, under these circumstances I don't think Disney is going to be as understanding as Paramount was.

JJ is more of a hired gun on Star Wars. He was given free reign and allowed to take his time by Paramount because they need to start over.

For Star Wars a storyline and screenwriter was in place before he was even hired. Obviously he will have input but he is not starting from scratch like him and the writers did the 2 Trek films.

Disney and Lucasfilm are going to be overseeing this. It does not seem he had a particular producer on ST above him. Kathleen Kennedy is a pro. She has respect from everyone in the business. Once it was decided they wanted a 2015 release they would have made it clear that was the expectation. Having real boss was likely one of the reasons JJ was at first reluctant to do this.

 

[DarthTom]

Having real boss was likely one of the reasons JJ was at first reluctant to do this.

Actually as I understand it his biggest reluctance was moving his family to London where it will film and uprooting his children out of school in Los Angeles.

 

[Tom]

LR was originally 250 Million but was whittled down for 215. I think Disney was getting a little scared at the budget getting out of control and they put a hiatus on the production to get the budget straighted out. Westerns are just not blockbuster summer films, it was a bad gamble on Disney's part.

 

[Tom]

Personally, I wonder how Disney execs are going to react if JJ Abrams stays true to form and delays the release date of Star Wars like he did his two Star Treks. Somehow, under these circumstances I don't think Disney is going to be as understanding as Paramount was.

JJ is more of a hired gun on Star Wars. He was given free reign and allowed to take his time by Paramount because they need to start over.

For Star Wars a storyline and screenwriter was in place before he was even hired. Obviously he will have input but he is not starting from scratch like him and the writers did the 2 Trek films.

Disney and Lucasfilm are going to be overseeing this. It does not seem he had a particular producer on ST above him. Kathleen Kennedy is a pro. She has respect from everyone in the business. Once it was decided they wanted a 2015 release they would have made it clear that was the expectation. Having real boss was likely one of the reasons JJ was at first reluctant to do this.

I think the trifecta of Lucasfilm (Kennedy), Bad Robot (JJ) and & Disney should be enough to hold each other in check so Star Wars does not get screwed up.

 

[DarthTom]

LR was originally 250 Million but was whittled down for 215. I think Disney was getting a little scared at the budget getting out of control and they put a hiatus on the production to get the budget straighted out. Westerns are just not blockbuster summer films, it was a bad gamble on Disney's part.

DJango did well, albiet released in December. However, Django was hardly a classic Western film as the subplot was about slavery unlike LR

 

[Harvey]

Personally, I wonder how Disney execs are going to react if JJ Abrams stays true to form and delays the release date of Star Wars like he did his two Star Treks. Somehow, under these circumstances I don't think Disney is going to be as understanding as Paramount was.

Given Disney's one film a year strategy, I think the schedule is a bit more rigid. Also, as far as I know, Paramount's decision to move the release of Star Trek from December of 2008 to May of 2009 wasn't Abrams' decision, although it probably benefited the film.

 

[DarthTom]

As an aside, Helena Bohman Carter will always and only be Madam Lestrange in my mind. LOL

 

[J.T.B.]

On the character alone, this movie or any its earlier incarnations, he is just your standard western hero in mask. There is nothing sexy or adventurous like Zorro. Which has allowed him to be appeal to new generations.

Not just a Western hero, but a particularly old-school Western hero. The Ranger has no dark side, no internal conflicts. He tries not to kill anyone. He does have a dramatic and violent origin story, yes, but his response to it is simply to be more lawful, honest, virtuous and honorable than anyone else. Add a mask and subtract the singing, he's not much different from a Gene Autry or Roy Rogers hero. I'm not really surprised the character seems to resist modern (much less post-modern) re-interpretations.

 

[Samurai8472]

Disney execs must be pulling their hair out.

Failing to fire off a silver bullet, Disney's The Lone Ranger posted a grim five-day debut of $48.9 million, far from enough to make up for the high cost of the Johnny Depp-Armie Hammer Western.

Well I guess this puts the nail on 200 million dollar westerns.

-Cowboys and Aliens
-Lone Ranger


Anyone attempting to try a third time would be foolish. It was fun while it lasted

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^ Are you talking budget or box office as Django and True Grit did pretty well.

 

[Sindatur]

^ Are you talking budget or box office as Django and True Grit did pretty well.

True Grit only cost $38M, and Django $100M. That's probably another reason to say goodbye to $200M budgets, because 1/2 or less budget did well

 

[The Wormhole]

Personally, I wonder how Disney execs are going to react if JJ Abrams stays true to form and delays the release date of Star Wars like he did his two Star Treks. Somehow, under these circumstances I don't think Disney is going to be as understanding as Paramount was.

Given Disney's one film a year strategy, I think the schedule is a bit more rigid. Also, as far as I know, Paramount's decision to move the release of Star Trek from December of 2008 to May of 2009 wasn't Abrams' decision, although it probably benefited the film.

I was more making a reference to STID, which had it's original release date of June 2012 postponed because Orci and gang needed more time on the script. Plus there was some talk around the time Abrams was announced as Episode 7's director that he was considering postponing the 2015 date. Details.

But, due to Disney's desperation for a franchise and their plan to do an SW movie a year, I really can't see Disney indulging Abrams the way Paramount did. Hell, there are already rumours Paramount is looking for a director who can guarantee Trek XIII by 2016.

 

[Dream]

Disney's 'Lone Ranger' Could Lead to $150 Million Loss

Reminds me of Disney announcing that John Carter flopping made them lose 200 million.

 

[DarthTom]

But, due to Disney's desperation for a franchise and their plan to do an SW movie a year, I really can't see Disney indulging Abrams the way Paramount did. Hell, there are already rumours Paramount is looking for a director who can guarantee Trek XIII by 2016.

I'm sure that Paramount is counting their blessings. Despite the fact that STID didn't knock it out of the park nor did World War Z both films are on track to make a profit for the company and create a long term viable franchise.

After Earth also flopped for Sony, you have to wonder if they are also worried about Elysium in August.

 

[Noname Given]

Disney's 'Lone Ranger' Could Lead to $150 Million Loss

Reminds me of Disney announcing that John Carter flopping made them lose 200 million.

Ironic in a way as:

Marvel's The Avengers allowed Disney to effectively shrug off John Carter of Mars

and it appears:

Iron Man 3 will allow them to absorb The Lone Ranger film's lacklustre BO performance.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Sound like Disney's new slogan should be:

Make Mine Marvel!

('Nuff Said optional)

 

[Dream]

Disney's 'Lone Ranger' Could Lead to $150 Million Loss

Reminds me of Disney announcing that John Carter flopping made them lose 200 million.

Ironic in a way as:

Marvel's The Avengers allowed Disney to effectively shrug off John Carter of Mars

and it appears:

Iron Man 3 will allow them to absorb The Lone Ranger film's lacklustre BO performance.

Disney needs to learn to not make so many flops!