Of all the movie news broke out this past few days, I bet Disney's sudden shutdown for the production of Gore Verbinski-directed THE LONE RANGER was the most shocking bunch. Then came another news that the movie was far from dead, under the condition that the budget must be trimmed.
So if you were still wondering how come a western movie like THE LONE RANGER cost a whopping $250 million in the first place, here's why... Apparently the movie was heavy with special effects because Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's draft contained supernatural element involving some kind of Native American werewolf tearing victims apart and leaving a bloody mess. Here's what Elliott had to say regarding about the draft and the reason why studio executives got cold feet in the end.
"It was always going to be a big Bruckheimer CG movie with traditional Bruckheimer elements with an eye toward being a tentpole, totally Pirates-style. It was never going to be a semi-traditional western...it was never going to be Zorro. It was going to be a Tonto show mainly. Tonto as the top dog and more dominant than the Lone Ranger. Tonto and the Indian spirits like Obi Wan Kenobi and the force. The driving engine was going to be Native American occult aspects worked in with werewolves and special effects. But flavored with doses of Native American spirituality in a serious way."
"But then Cowboys & Aliens came along and tanked and Disney got cold tenderfeet, spooked by the idea of a pricey mashup. If Cowboys & Aliens had made $200 million, this wouldn't be happening. A Bruckheimer-style western in the wake of Cowboys & Aliens is nothing anyone is feeling secure about at this stage. Trust me, the writers of tentpole garbage are all scared now."
By the way, here is photo capture of Elliott and Rossio's draft below involving the werewolf scene.
