Well it appears that sanity has come to Burbank...
It this struggling economy, spending well north of a quarter of a billion dollars on a Western was enough to make the Mouse believe that it wasn't worth it. Thank you very much, "Cowboys & Aliens."
But the studio has come to an agreement with the producer, director and stars (what, no writers?) to take a 20% pay cut and defer some of the payments on the back end so as to get the film rolling. Also, any cost overruns will come out of Jerry Bruckheimer's pocket not Disneys. So it appears the production is back on track for shooting to start on February 6, 2012, with the film being released in the summer of the following year, May 31, 2013 to be exact.
Fear not, this is still a budget of over $215 million dollars, sans werewolves and a few other mystical things, but it still has three or four amazingly complex train robberies/crashes that should excite audience amidst the shoot outs. And don't worry about Johnny Depp not looking like an Indian, even though he is part Indian. You won't be able to recognize him if the make up test that they've done are approved. He's going to look like something you've never seen before. Of course, that has the studio a little worried, after all, if you're selling Johnny Depp and he doesn't even look like himself, will the audience not buy a ticket?
Come two years from now we'll likely know, but I like Gore Verbinski and I already know he can pull off a Western since he did "Rango" this year.
Now, let's hope he can turn silver bullets into box office gold...
