Gore Verbinski will direct Disney's "The Lone Ranger," TheWrap has confirmed
Having done the near-impossible by making a pirate film people actually went to see, Verbinski will turn his attention to a different box office-challenged genre. The western.
"Lone Ranger" will reunite the director with his "Pirates of the Caribbean" team. Johnny Depp will star as Tonto and Jerry Bruckheimer will produce. No word yet on who will don the Ranger's mask and six shooters.
Depp and Verbinski also teamed up on the upcoming animated film "Rango." After directing the previous three "Pirates" films, Verbinski ceded directing duties for "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" to "Nine" director Rob Marshall.
Disney did not say say when filming would start or when the film would be released.
Deadline first reported news that Verbinski had been signed.
