The Lone Ranger will be another collaboration between Bruckheimer, Depp, and Verbinski, who directed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, but handed off directorial duties of this weekend's On Stranger Tides to Rob Marshall.  Justin Haythe is writing the screenplay, which Verbinski says provides a new spin on the dynamic between The Lone Ranger and Tonto, incorporating thematic elements of Miguel de Cervantes' 'Don Quixote'.

Through previous reports suggested that Disney was looking at a release date at some point in the distant future of 2012, the Variety article makes mention of a potential release date as early as Fall of 2012.  Disney is apparently eager to start production once Johnny Depp wraps up work on Dark Shadows, the gothic soap opera filming this summer under Tim Burton.

After getting a lot of attention as the Winklevii in The Social Network, Armie Hammer has been a leading man in-training.  The actor – who came within weeks of playing Bruce Wayne/Batman in Warner Bros' aborted Justice League: Mortal a few years back – has snagged a crucial supporting role in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the first FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.  He's also set to play Prince Andrew Alcott in Tarsem Singh's currently untitled Snow White film, which stars Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen and Lily Collins as Snow White.