franchise, there was absolutely no reason for a Western to cost north of $250M. Tumbleweeds aren't that expensive. In fact they're sorta free. Ever since it's been a mad race to do whatever's necessary to trim the fat, with Justin Haythe's script having it's most expensive(read: supernatural) parts forcibly removed. So now Deadline says that a new draft has been turned in, one that cuts the budget down to a still ludicrous $215M, a far cry from what Disney wants. However it appears that Verbinski, known for being a bit too spend happy on his productions, will walk if he has to drop it any lower. And Depp is now saying he won't do the movie at all without Verbinski, so this puts the studio in an awkward position.
Well, in theory it does. To me the decision is simple: Disney should turn their back and move on. The assumption that The Lone Ranger will be another billion dollar franchise just because the 'Pirates' gang is together again is far fetched. There's no proof anywhere that The Lone Ranger could be that sort of draw. Remember Cowboys & Aliens? Didn't do so hot, and that had James Bond and Indiana Jones in it. Verbinski won't be able to stay under budget because...well, he never does. And the film would only succeed if it does 'Pirates' dollars, due to the astronomical production costs. For the price of making the film they could make three or four smaller ones with just as much chance at finding an audience. I just don't see the benefits other than making sure they don't piss off Depp and Bruckheimer. Disney doesn't seem all that concerned about Verbinski.
