Mike Newell is in advanced negotiations to direct The Lone Ranger, with Johnny Depp attached as Tonto. Newell is currently in post production on another Jerry Bruckheimer produced blockbuster, Prince of Persia, and obviously impressed the mega-successful bearded one enough to bag this highly sought after gig. Based on the 1930's radio show, and subsequent comic and TV spin-offs, this film will pick up with a group of Texas Rangers chasing some outlaws; when the outlaws ambush the rangers, they are all seemingly dead, except for one, who is nursed back to health by Tonto. He then gets a horse called Silver, and the rest is full of whip-cracking adventure type stuff. The Tonto role does sound like a supporting part, so it'll be very interesting to see who they attach as the masked loner himself. Depp will next be seen in the cracking looking Michael Mann film, Public Enemies.
