With production back on track to begin early next year, Gore Verbinski is now deep into casting Disney’s blockbuster The Lone Ranger. We’ve already had Johnny Deep and Armie Hammer signed on since close to the beginning, and now Deadline confirms a new batch of supporters. They let us know Ruth Wilson has officially singed on for the female lead, while Tom Wilkinson has done the same for his villain role Latham Cole. And although they’ve been rumored before Disney supposedly “canceled” the film, Barry Pepper, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale and Dwight Yoakum are back on and all close to signing a deal.
As we previously reported, Yoakam would be playing the leader of this gang, Butch Cavendish, who is described as being the movie’s primary antagonist, and Pepper is being sought for the part of the seventh calvary’s leader, Captain J. Fuller. Dale, meanwhile, is up for the role of Dan Reid, who is both the older brother of the Lone Ranger and leader of the Texas Rangers. As for Carter, she would play “the colorful madam of a local brothel.”
This is a talented group with Dale recently shining in Steve McQueen‘s Shame and the consistently solid Wilkinson (who will next be seen in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol). I can already see actors like Yoakam and Pepper chewing up the scenery with their western characters. Lets hope Verbinski continues the magic of something like Rango, rather than his latter Pirates films.
The Lone Ranger will arrive on May 31st, 2013.
What do you think about the supporting cast?