海角大神

Can director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer make a 鈥�Lone Ranger鈥� film appeal to a generation of young adults who have never heard of Tonto or Silver the horse?

We'll soon find out as audiences take in 鈥淭he Lone Ranger,鈥� the big-screen adaptation of the 1949 TV series which debuted July 3 and stars Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer of 鈥淭he Social Network.鈥� The characters in the TV series originally appeared on a radio show, circa 1933, and also appeared in a series of films later in the 1930s. Even later films with the characters included 1956鈥檚 鈥淭he Lone Ranger鈥� and 1958鈥檚 鈥淭he Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold,鈥� both of which starred the lead actors from the TV series, Clayton Moore (who portrayed the titular Lone Ranger) and Jay Silverheels (who took on the role of Tonto). A 1981 film titled 鈥淭he Legend of the Lone Ranger鈥� had different actors portray the characters.

But even Verbinski says that pop culture had moved on past the Lone Ranger when he was growing up.

鈥淚 grew up in the '70s, so it was Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah and not so much the Lone Ranger,鈥� Verbinski said during a recent panel discussion led by Yahoo moderator Ben Lyons. During the panel, Verbinski, Depp, Hammer, and Bruckheimer answered questions from Internet users.

And Verbinski says he wanted to put a twist on the story that some feel they know so well.

鈥淲e're telling it from Tonto's perspective,鈥� the director said of his film. 鈥淗e's our way into this story. You've all heard this story, but you've never heard it from the guy who was there.鈥�

Depp said he found Tonto fascinating when he was younger and a fan of the TV series.

鈥淲hen I watched the show, I just didn't understand why Tonto was the sidekick,鈥� he said.

The actor said he was also sensitive to the troubled history of Native Americans when he took on the role of the Lone Ranger鈥檚 friend.

鈥淭he goal was to, in my own small way, right the many wrongs that have been done to those people,鈥� Depp said.

The film has already attracted attention for its large budget and the many stunts Hammer and Depp perform in the trailers. Hammer said he knew how to ride a horse before the film, but he encountered some new challenges during 鈥淩anger.鈥�

鈥淚've never ridden a moving horse on top of a train or through a bank before, so that was new,鈥� the actor said.

Depp also cited riding a horse when asked what his biggest challenge on the film was.

鈥淭he most difficult thing was staying alive when you're on a horse that's moving at high speeds,鈥� he said. The actor called 鈥淩anger鈥� the most dangerous movie he鈥檇 ever worked on.

Verbinski said so many things went wrong during the film that watching the movie now is 鈥渁 sense memory of pain.鈥�

鈥淚t was the hardest film I've ever been on,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was absolutely nuts. The train never worked.鈥�