Since
Deadline first revealed that
The Lone Ranger had been placed on hold due to budgetary concerns, it was commonly believed that the only way Disney would give the movie the green light was if director Gore Verbinski could bring the whopping budget down. You see, they didn't want to risk spending up to $275 million after the less than great performance of this summers
Cowboys & Aliens showed that the genre may not be all that popular with audiences, despite the inclusion of an A-List cast. The recent news that Johnny Depp would drop out of the director left the project surely put some pressure on the studio.
However, Mike Fleming is now reporting that,
"insiders tell me that things are starting to look up for the film and there is now optimism that the picture might actually get made." He also reveals that Bruckheimer, Depp and Verbinski have all made "salary concessions" in order to help the film get made, with the budget now said to be closer to $215 million, despite the fact that Disney are hoping to shave another $15 million from that. The report finishes optimistically with,
"We should have an answer shortly, but don’t be surprised if The Lone Ranger rides again."