Even the most accomplished of directors can encounter stumbling blocks, and Quentin Tarantino, renowned for his impeccable filmmaking record, has previously shed light on a rare misstep he noticed in the Johnny Depp-led film. In a candid disclosure, the 60-year-old confessed to an error in judgment concerning The Lone Ranger, the ill-fated project starring Johnny Depp, which ultimately incurred a staggering loss exceeding $160 million.
Quentin Tarantino Acknowledged An Error In The Box Office Bomb The Lone Ranger
Quentin Tarantino, celebrated for his audacious and unconventional filmmaking choices, recently shared his perspective on one of Johnny Depp’s less-praised cinematic endeavors.
In a cinematic landscape where Tarantino’s name is interchangeable with innovation, his insights into The Lone Ranger shed intriguing light on the complex world of movie critique.
Johnny Depp ventured into the Disney adventure film The Lone Ranger, starring alongside Armie Hammer. The film, set in the American West, depicted Depp as Tonto, the Native American companion to Hammer’s John Reid, as they combated crime. However, the film’s theatrical release was met with both commercial and critical challenges.
What’s fascinating is that amidst the wave of criticism, Tarantino emerged as one of the film’s few champions. In a 2013 interview with Les Inrockuptibles via Indiewire, he lauded the movie’s promising start, describing the initial forty-five minutes as excellent, and noticed the blunders in the film. The director shared,
“The next forty-five minutes are a little soporific. It was a bad idea to split the bad guys into two groups; it takes hours to explain and nobody cares.“
Tarantino acknowledged that the subsequent forty-five minutes felt somewhat lethargic, attributing this to a convoluted plot involving split groups of villains, which he felt failed to engage the audience.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but marvel at the film’s spectacular train scene, expressing disbelief that such a sequence was dismissed as unworthy. He said,
“Then comes the train scene—incredible! When I saw it, I kept thinking, What, that’s the film that everybody says is crap? Seriously.”
The turning point, according to Tarantino, was when the movie delved into Tonto’s backstory, which he found somewhat insensitive.
However, the 60-year-old praised The Lone Ranger as a well-made work of art and said that the critics may have been unjust to the film. In the end, The Lone Ranger faced commercial disappointment, losing millions of dollars.
Disney Predicted That The Lone Ranger Would Incur A Loss Of Millions
In the dynamic land of Hollywood, even entertainment giants like Disney find themselves navigating financial hurdles from time to time.
Disney, renowned for its cinematic ventures, faced the daunting prospect of a substantial financial setback due to the box-office underperformance of The Lone Ranger, in which Johnny Depp portrays the character Tonto.
As per Disney’s statement reported by Variety chief financial officer, Jay Rasulo, the company is bracing itself for a significant write-down, estimated to be in the range of $160 to $190 million during the fiscal fourth quarter.
This financial adjustment stemmed from the film’s lukewarm reception, despite an illustrious cast, and the production’s exorbitant budget, exceeding $215 million.
Rasulo also disclosed that due to changing accounting standards, Disney expected to incur an impairment charge of $86 million, with subsequent adjustments based on how well the film performs at the final international box office.
The disheartening financial outlook for The Lone Ranger underscored the capricious nature of the film industry, emphasizing that even industry titans must weather occasional setbacks in their relentless pursuit of cinematic achievements.
The Lone Ranger is available for rent on Apple TV.
Source: Les Inrockuptibles via Indiewire
