Johnny Depp and the makers of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise have swapped the high seas for the wild west in "The Lone Ranger," as they seek to reboot an American pop culture icon.
Having earned more than $3.6 billion at the box office with the "Pirates" blockbusters, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and studio giant Disney wanted to give a new take on the traditional western adventure.
The Lone Ranger, a masked crusader who rights wrongs in the name of justice, was born on the radio in 1933 before being turned into a popular US television series from 1949-1957.
The film, out Wednesday in the United States for the July 4 national holiday, is the fourth big-screen adaptation of the story of the mythical hero and his faithful sidekick Tonto.
Depp -- whose "Pirates" character Captain Jack Sparrow was famously inspired by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards -- plays the native American Tonto with his usual quirky brio.
He personally insisted on Tonto's idiosyncratic look, notably basing the make-up on a painting by native American artist Kirby Sattler, with a winged crow as a hat.
The title role is played by Armie Hammer, the 26-year-old actor who played the Winklevoss twins -- with a little computer-generated imagery (CGI) help -- in the 2010 Facebook movie "The Social Network."
Hammer admits he didn't know much about the iconic character before he made the movie.
"The character is before my time. The only reason I was familiar with the Lone Ranger character at all was because my dad was such a big fan," he told AFP ahead of the film's release.
"He would enjoy watching the show on re-runs every now and then, stuff like that. I watched it a little bit with him but I was very loosely, loosely, aware of Lone Ranger."
In typically explosive Bruckheimer style -- and with a budget estimated at over $200 million -- the film tells the story of why lawyer John Reid swapped his suit for a black mask and white hat, to become the anonymous hero.
Hammer says he was intensely aware of the iconic nature of the character. "There's a sense of respect, more than anything else. I know that this character means a lot to a lot of people," he said.
"A lot of people grew up with him in their home, and trusted the Lone Ranger enough to make him part of their life, and we wanted to be sensitive about that. We wanted to show those people that we do appreciate their nostalgia."
He added: "I wanted original elements of the character in there. His value of human life, his hesitance to kill anybody, his very strict moral code, all of those things from the TV show I wanted all those things."
But to resonate with a modern audience -- notably young movie-goers targeted by Bruckheimer and the studio behind the movie -- the filmmakers had to add in some modern touches.
When the original radio show aired, America "had just come out of the Great Depression, and for the TV show we just finished World War II and were starting the Korean War conflict," said the actor.
"So people just wanted a hero, they wanted to be able to turn on the television and not worry about anything and just see somebody do the right thing and be a good hero -- a good American good guy.
"That doesn't work for audiences these days. Audiences now are much more discerning, so we wanted to make him human, we wanted to give him a struggle," he added.
The young actor said he learned a lot from Bruckheimer, Depp, and director Gore Verbinski, who won an Oscar for 2011 animated film "Rango," which also starred his 50-year-old A-list co-star, in voice at least.
"From Jerry I learned: stay calm, you'll figure it out, it'll be OK," he said.
"From Johnny I learned to pay attention to everything that's going on around you and remember it. And from Gore, I learned that anything can be done, it just might take a little more hard work than you think," he said.
AFP
Wed Jul 03 2013
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.
Amber Heard bayar saman, Johnny Depp derma semua pada rumah kebajikan
Heard dilaporkan media tempatan telah membayar sebanyak RM4.6 juta seperti yang diarahkan oleh mahkamah kepada Depp.
Amber Heard seronok duduk Sepanyol, sudah move on daripada Johnny Depp
Setelah melalui episod perceraian dan perseteruan di mahkamah yang tidak menyebelahinya, Amber Heard membawa diri berpindah ke Sepanyol.
Johnny Depp terima kontrak termahal dalam sejarah jenama Dior
Christian Dior dilaporkan telah memperbaharui kontrak luar biasa dengan pesohor hiburan penuh kontroversi, Johnny Depp.
Amber Heard setuju bayar AS$1 juta, selesai saman fitnah terhadap Johnny Depp
Heard bagaimanapun berkata keputusan itu "bukan tanda bersetuju", sebaliknya kerana dia "hilang kepercayaan terhadap sistem perundangan Amerika Syarikat".
Amber Heard gagal cubaan dapatkan perbicaraan baharu
Peguam Heard memfailkan permohonan mahkamah untuk membatalkan keputusan kes dan mengisytiharkan perbicaraan silap atas alasan juri berat sebelah.
Amber Heard didakwa semakin 'sengkek', dilihat beli-belah baju murah
Menerusi gambar-gambar yang dirakam orang awam, Amber dilihat sedang membelek beberapa pakaian yang dipamerkan di pusat beli-belah berkenaan.
Bukti rakaman 'Amber VS Johnny' didedahkan 25 Jun ini
Saksikan "Amber VS Johnny" pada 25 Jun ini, jam 9.55 malam di saluran Discovery Channel.
Peguam Johnny Depp jadi buruan Hollywood
Peguam Johnny Depp, Camille Vasquez dilaporkan menerima banyak tawaran dari Hollywood selepas berjaya mencuri perhatian semasa perbicaraan saman malu antara anak guamnya dan aktres Amber Heard.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Tiada jalan kembali ke Hollywood untuk Amber Heard - Pakar perhubungan awam
Perbicaraan dramatik di mahkamah selama enam minggu itu menimbulkan pelbagai persoalan tentang kerjayanya dan situasi kewangannya, termasuk kemungkinan hilang pendapatan sehingga AS$50 juta.