Gore Verbinski

2012 Annie Award Winners Announced; RANGO Named Best Animated Feature

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 5th, 2012 at 10:44 am

The 2012 Annie Awards were held last night, and critical favorite Rango ended up deservedly taking home the Best Animated Feature award. Gore Verbinski’s quirky western also took home the award for Best Writing in a Feature Production, Best Editing, and the Members Favorite Award, but lost Best Directing to Kung Fu Panda 2’s Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Bill Nighy won Best Voice Acting for Arthur Christmas, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes took home the Character Animation in a Live Action Feature Production award.

On the television side of things, The Simpsons was awarded the top prize as well as Best Directing and Best Writing. Heading into the Academy Awards, Rango is our clear frontrunner. The Adventures of Tintin was pegged as the film’s biggest competition at the Oscar ceremony, but the Steven Spielberg film was ultimately left out of the nominations. Hit the jump to see the full list of Annie Awards Winners.

Tom Wilkinson and Ruth Wilson Return to THE LONE RANGER; Movie Trying to Reassemble Supporting Cast

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 7th, 2011 at 9:10 am

Earlier this summer, Gore Verbinksi‘s adaptation of The Lone Ranger was rounding up its cast.  Johnny Depp was signed on to play Tonto, Armie Hammer was playing the Ranger, and the movie was lining up Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson (Luther), Dwight Yoakam, Barry Pepper, and Helena Bonham Carter for supporting roles.  But then Disney pumped the brakes and wanted a lower budget, they eventually got it after some protracted negotiations, and now pre-production is back underway.

However, this delay moved back the start of production which meant that scheduling had changed for the actors.  Depp and Hammer never really left, and now it looks like Verbinski is trying to get his other actors back.  Deadline reports that Wilkinson has returned to play the villain Latham Cole while Wilson is still playing the movie’s female lead.  Disney is talking again with Carter, Pepper, and Yoakam as well as James Badge Dale.  Production on the $215 million cowboy movie begins in February 2012 for a May 31, 2013 release.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer Talks THE LONE RANGER Budget Negotiations; Plus Brief Update on PIRATES 5

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 19th, 2011 at 9:05 am

Major studios are talking about tightening their belts and being more selective in their projects because the DVD revenue market has dried up and nothing has come along yet to replace its riches.  However, one can’t help but be amused that for Disney, belt-tightening meant trimming the cost of The Lone Ranger from $260 million to $215 million and that paying $215 million for a movie based on a serial western from the 1950s is good financial sense.

The wrangling over the budget was done in public and we tracked every ludicrous step.  Eventually, the two sides came to an agreement and the film was re-scheduled from December 21, 2012 to May 31, 2013.  Producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently explained why production was shut down at the 11th hour, how they got the budget down to a “reasonable” number, what was cut from the script, and provides a minor update on Pirates of the Caribbean 5.  Hit the jump for what the prolific producer had to say.  The Lone Ranger will star Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the Ranger.

Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Gore Verbinski, and Jerry Bruckheimer Take Paycuts to Make THE LONE RANGER Happen

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 12th, 2011 at 9:12 pm

Disney very nearly pulled the plug on The Lone Ranger because of the absurd proposed $250 million budget.  Director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have spent the last two months searching for ways to cut costs, and here’s what they came up with according to Variety:

• Verbinski, Bruckheimer, and stars Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer will all take 20% paycuts; certain payments will be deferered until The Lone Ranger starts making money
• Bruckheimer Films will be responsible for any cost overruns.
• Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl) reworked the script by Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road) to eliminate a few expensive sequences involving supernatural elements that require a lot of effects work.

That’s all well and good, and I applaud the waste reduction efforts on a movie that should not cost $250 million.  But the gesture is less meaningful when the result is a $215 million budget.  The report indicates Tom Wilkinson and Ruth Wilson are also still on board and confirms the shoot will probably be delayed from November to February 2012.  As such, The Lone Ranger will likely forfeit its right to a December 21, 2012 release date.  Hit the jump for Depp’s take on the situation.

Chernin Entertainment and Gore Verbinski to Produce Pitch Described as “Futuristic JUNGLE BOOK”

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: September 28th, 2011 at 4:40 pm

Chernin Entertainment is near a deal to acquire an untitled pitch by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless after a bidding war.  Deadline neglects to offer a logline, but describes the story as “a futuristic Jungle Book.”  I am not sure how literally we’re meant to take the comparison, or even what the evolutionary Mowgli looks like.  Maybe he is raised by space wolves?

Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark of Chernin Entertainment will produce alongside Gore Verbinski and John Krauss of Blind Wink.  Sazama and Sharpless are also working with Verbinski on the live-action adaptation of the board game Clue.  Their first produced credit is still on the horizon, but in recent years Sazama and Sharpless have been tasked with a Missile Command, Flash Gordon, and Dracula Year Zero.  In case it’s relevant, I have included a synopsis of Rudyard Kipling’s book after the jump.

THE LONE RANGER Comes Back from the Brink; Expected to Begin Shooting in Early 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 23rd, 2011 at 11:02 am

After a public struggle between Disney and director Gore Verbinski to bring down the budget for The Lone Ranger, it appears the two sides have found a way to move forward and are eyeing an early 2012 start date.  Deadline reports that in order for Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and star Johnny Depp (who is playing Tonto), “the cutting process has included the reworking of deals…and trimming the production budget and the long shoot.”  It looks like Disney decided that they’d rather make an expensive movie with Depp and acquiesce to his demand of keeping Verbinski rather than scrapping the project all together.  If you’re wondering what real star power looks like, that’s it.

Armie Hammer is still on board to play the title character and Ruth Wilson (Luther) is still likely to play the female lead.  It’s unknown if other actors who were cast—Helena Bonham Carter, Dwight Yoakam, Barry Pepper, and Tom Wilkinson—are still on board or if the new start date has created a scheduling conflict.  It’s also unknown if Disney will try to hold onto its original December 21, 2012 release date, but I think that’s a highly-optimistic time crunch for a movie that with a budget of $215 million.  Mr. Verbinski loves his special effects and making FX houses work overtime to get the movie finished by December will only cost Disney more money.

Johnny Depp Won’t Do THE LONE RANGER without Director Gore Verbinski

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 1st, 2011 at 7:36 am

Disney’s drama with The Lone Ranger continues.  As we previously reported, Disney thought the budget was too high and wanted to work it down to at least $215 – $220 million.  Director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer tried to wrangle down that budget but Disney chairman Rich Ross went so far as to hint that Verbinski was an expendable piece of the puzzle if it meant not spending an exorbitant amount on a Western.  But Deadline is now reporting that star Johnny Depp won’t do the movie without Verbinski at the helm.  No Depp means there’s no movie and the studio certainly wants to keep one of the world’s biggest movie stars happy.

The good news for Disney is that Verbinski and Bruckheimer were able to get the budget down to less than $220 million although it’s not at the $200 million mark that the studio would have preferred.  However, there’s still no final agreement on the budget and insiders tell Deadline that Verbinski “won’t take the budget down to a certain point where it’s not the same movie that he started out to make.”  Hit the jump for a recap of why Disney is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Phillip Noyce Leaves HUNTER KILLER; Will THE LONE RANGER Ride without Gore Verbinski?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 22nd, 2011 at 7:51 am

We have a few director-related stories for you this morning.  First up, Moviehole is reporting that Phillip Noyce (Salt) has left the submarine action-thriller Hunter Killer.  Noyce had been officially on board since February, but apparently just realized that the story—which is about an American sub commander and a Navy SEAL team that must rescue the Russian president and defeat a renegade admiral who’s attempting a coup—was too similar to his previous films (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger).  He’ll now turn his focus to the time-travel romance Timeless and newly-announced project, Above Suspicion, a thriller written by Chris Gerolmo (Mississippi Burning).  We previously reported that Noyce was also attached to a remake of Bloodsport, an adaptation of Tim Winton’s Dirt Music, and the drama Our Wild Life.

Hit the jump for more intrigue revolving around The Lone Ranger.

Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer Try to Wrangle a Lower Budget for THE LONE RANGER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 17th, 2011 at 11:57 am

At a reported budget of $250 million, you have to wonder if anyone behind Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger actually has respect for the source material.  The character is a guy with a Native American partner who fights bad guys.  That’s about it.  But apparently that’s not cool enough for modern audiences and this notion that bloated spectacle is automatically better is why you now have Disney holding off on making The Lone Ranger and their sticking point is that they have to make it cost $215 to $220 million (or less) instead of $250 million.  A source tells THR, “It all starts with [Verbinski].  If there is any saving this version of the movie, he’ll have to find substantial savings. If he can, maybe we can hold this together.”  Only in modern blockbuster filmmaking run amuck could knocking $30 million off a $250 million budget qualify as “substantial savings.”

Hit the jump on why the film still costs so much and why Disney remains skittish (and rightfully so).  Johnny Depp is still attached to play Tonto with Armie Hammer set as the title character.

Disney Will Not Make THE LONE RANGER with Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, and Gore Verbinski [UPDATED]

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: August 13th, 2011 at 9:54 am

The Lone Ranger had all the makings of a tentpole for Disney.  The December 2012 release date.  The impressive cast, led by Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, and Tom Wilkinson.  The nostalgia for a known property.  The $250 million budget… wait, why does a western need to cost $250 million.  I understand that Johnny Depp is as expensive as he is bankable, especially when paired with Gore Verbinski, the director of the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  But to spend Pirates-level money on a genre that is not noted for success in modern theaters is bad business.  I mean, how much nostalgia is there really for The Lone Ranger?  Disney’s answer: not enough.

Deadline reports the studio has halted production before the October start date, even though filmmakers were trying to reduce costs to a mere $232 million.  The Lone Ranger will join At the Mountains of Madness and The Dark Tower on the 2011 list of ambitious adaptations that were too risky for their studios.  The Lone Ranger was the furthest along, though, with a full cast.  The news is surprising, but totally understandable.  There are much better ways for Disney to spend $250 million.

[Update: Variety now reports that the project is "far from dead," and all parties involved are now working to trim the budget closer to $200 million. Whether the film will still make the planned October start date or if Disney will ultimately pull the plug remains to be seen.]

Universal Won’t Solve CLUE; Adaptation Moves Forward with Hasbro Producing and Gore Verbinski Still Attached to Direct

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 3rd, 2011 at 12:34 pm

Universal’s movie deal with Hasbro has been a serious burden for the story.  Whether they make movies based on Hasbro products or not, the studio still has to pay out.  However, that means Universal has to find a way to create stories based on Ouija, Stretch Armstrong, and other board games and toys.  The luke-warm to derisive reaction to the Battleship trailer has to be making the company skittish to say the least.  Deadline reports that Universal now has a few less properties to worry about as they’ve dropped Gore Verbinski’s Clue along with Ridley Scott’s Monopoly and an adaptation of Magic: The Gathering (and I had saved up so much mana!).

However, none of these projects are dead.  Clue is moving forward with Verbinski still planning to direct with Hasbro producing and Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (the Flash Gordon remake) signed on to write the script.  Verbinski’s take reportedly retains the murder-mystery of the game but expands it to a global stage.  Please, please, please let someone say that the movie is Clue meets Risk as if the pieces got mixed up.  Hit the jump for more details on Universal’s other Hasbro properties.

JANE EYRE Director Cary Fukunaga to Helm Universal’s Sci-Fi Drama SPACELESS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: August 1st, 2011 at 4:11 pm

Director Cary Fukunaga is moving from Gothic period piece to sci-fi drama (as one does). The director has closed a deal to helm the sci-fi film Spaceless for Universal. Heat Vision reports that the story centers on an assassin who awakens to find himself tumbling through space in a space suit equipped with a computer designed to keep him company until he runs out of air. The man must reflect upon how he got into the present circumstances—which includes breaking into a space station to carry out a hit—in order to solve the mystery of his death. He begins to question his reality, however, as he wonders whether he’s actually floating aimlessly through space or trapped in an artificially created environment.

Gore Verbinski is producing, and Fukunaga will rewrite the screenplay that was written on spec by Jeff Vintar. I was a big fan of Jane Eyre, so I’m intrigued to see his take on the sci-fi genre. And may I suggest a re-teaming with Michael Fassbender, please? The director also recently attached himself to write and direct the Civil War-set heist film No Blood, No Guts, No Glory.

RANGO Blu-ray Review

by Rob Vaux    Posted: July 29th, 2011 at 8:50 am

Rango may be the most original film to be released this year… and if that doesn’t hold some significance, you haven’t been paying attention. We’re inundated with remakes, reboots, adaptations and regurgitations, driven by a psychotic fear of anything new (and hence unknown). In their relentless search for reliable moneymakers, the studios have seemingly forgotten how to tell their own stories… unless they’re trolling for Oscars, in which case a simple “based on the amazing true story” will do just fine. And yet in the middle of it all, there sits this strange and wonderful flight of imagination: from a director best known for bringing a theme park ride to the screen, no less. Miracles still happen… even in Hollywood. Hit the jump for my full review.

British Actress Ruth Wilson in Talks for Female Lead in THE LONE RANGER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 12th, 2011 at 4:15 pm

Director Gore Verbinski may have found his leading lady for his adaptation of The Lone Ranger. British actress Ruth Wilson is currently in negotiations to take on the lead female role in the film, which has Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer set to star as Tonto and the Lone Ranger respectively. Deadline reports that the actress will play a character named Rebecca, and she apparently beat out Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) and Abbie Cornish (Sucker Punch) for the part.

Wilson has been doing some high-profile TV work in England, having been nominated for a Golden Globe for her starring role in Masterpiece Theater’s 2006 miniseries Jane Eyre. Verbinski (the first three Pirates of the Carribean films) is directing The Lone Ranger from a script by Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road). Tom Wilkinson is also in talks to co-star. The film opens December 21^st, 2012.

Disney Sets THE LONE RANGER for December 21, 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 8th, 2011 at 8:50 am

If you were let down by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, you won’t have to wait too long for the re-teaming of Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski.  According to Deadline, Disney has set the adaptation of The Lone Ranger for December 21, 2012.  The film stars Depp as the Comanche indian Tonto who saves the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) after he’s left for dead in 1869 Texas.  While the Ranger may be the title character, Depp has previously indicated that the film will reinvent the role of Tonto and make him more of the main character rather than the sidekick.

The biggest competition the film will face will be the second-week release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which opens on December 14th.  The Lone Ranger will also have to compete with Judd Apatow’s untitled comedy, Philip Noyce’s submarine thriller Hunter Killer, and Ang Lee’s adaptation of Life of Pi.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design