It's easy to understand why Disney might've been so eager to stay in the Johnny Depp business. Even his less regarded franchise flicks rake in loot hand over fist. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides took in over $1B globally, and the same can be said for Alice in Wonderland. Mixed reviews didn't stop people from ponying up their dollars, and that speaks mainly to Depp's box office reliability. When Disney scuttled plans for The Lone Ranger, which would've reunited the 'Pirates' trio of Depp, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Gore Verbinski, it came as a shock. Especially since Disney had been promoting the film based on Depp's name for at least two years.
The reasons given were simple: the film was costing too much. Reportedly well over $250M, and possibly more considering the free spending ways of Verbinski, Disney backed off unless things could be trimmed down. That included writer Justin Haythe cutting some of the more expensive story elements, and the three principle figures taking a pay cut. Last month the two sides came to an agreement after the budget was moderately reduced to around $215M. Apparently that wasn't all of the story.
Bruckheimer, Depp, Verbinski, and co-star Armie Hammer saw a 20% reduction in their usual fees. I'm sure they can afford it, and Hammer was probably willing to be part of a potentially star-making franchise. The most interesting bit of information revolves around Verbinski. He has a reputation for going wildly over budget, and Disney has insulated themselves from that very real possibility. If the cost goes over the agreed upon amount, the overrun will be covered by Bruckheimer, not Disney. Shrewd move, Mouse House.
With production getting bumped from November to next February, all sides are planning a move from the original December 21st 2012 release date. No word on when that'll be, but considering the players involved expect it to be near the summer of 2013. Just my guess. [Variety]
