Hollywood Learns Nothing, Mega-Expensive LONE RANGER Greenlit

The cost was too high, and Disney blinked. Finally. But since that day things have changed, and the principals have agreed to 20% pay cuts to bring the budget down to a more reasonable 215 MILLION DOLLARS. For a fucking western. One that, Variety says, may no longer have werewolves. The trade says the script 'was reworked to eliminate some pricey f/x sequences involving supernatural elements.'

There is a smart way to make movies, and this isn't it. Movies at this price point are rarely good, because the film must be a guaranteed hit. With Gore Verbinski at the helm and the Pirates of the Caribbean writers scripting, with Johnny Depp as Tonto, we're looking at the same old shit, just in a different location. And without all the boats. It's times like this when it's hard to rassle up some New Optimism.