Last week, news broke that Oscar nominated actor Ryan Gosling was in early talks to headline Disney’s upcoming film The Lone Ranger alongside Johnny Depp. Depp would play Tonto, while Gosling would star as the title character. At first glance, the idea of Depp playing sidekick to the younger actor seemed far-fetched. Let’s be honest, Depp playing second fiddle to anyone is unbelievable.
Today, that little casting scoop has been debunked by multiple sources that state Gosling is not involved with the developing film.
The reports claiming that Gosling was in talks for The Lone Ranger were premature. The actor’s upcoming schedule hasn’t been fully confirmed and it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to fit the Disney tentpole in. Gosling is best known for his work in indie films like Half Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl and most recently Blue Valentine. The movie would have put him on the map with mainstream audiences.
The Lone Ranger is the popular cowboy character, who originated on radio and eventually crossed over onto television. Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels appeared on the small screen as the title character and his Native American sidekick Tonto. Depp actually shares some Native American ancestry and has said in the past that he wants his version of Tonto to be a more positive take of the people.
The film is scheduled to hit theaters in 2014, so it can accommodate Depp’s busy shooting schedule which includes Tim Burton’s next feature film Dark Shadows. As for Gosling, you can see him in the upcoming comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love co-starring Steve Carell and Emma Stone. It’s like Hitch but they switch out Will Smith and Kevin James for Gosling and Carell.
Who do you think has the charisma to star opposite Depp in The Lone Ranger? Was Gosling a good choice?
