Disney Could Lose $150 Million On ‘The Lone Ranger’
After months of trailers, TV spots, posters, and other marketing forThe Lone Ranger, it’s easy to forget the movie almost never happened at all. Back in 2011, Disneyslammed the brakesover concerns about its over-$250 million budget, and decided tomove forwardonly after directorGore Verbinskiand producerJerry Bruckheimertrimmed it downto $215 million.
As it turns out, though, even that lower figure wasn’t enough to put the project in the black. Following a disastrous opening weekend, Disney stands to lose up to $150 million onThe Lone Ranger. That’s not quite as rough as the$200 millionlost byJohn Carterin 2011, but it’s pretty crappy. Hit the jump for more on what happened.
Making matters worse is the fact thatThe Lone Rangerhas also earnedterrible reviews, making it unlikely to get much of a boost from word-of-mouth. Nor were foreign audiences any more receptive. Westerns tend not to do well abroad, and with a take of $24.3 million in 24 non-U.S. markets,The Lone Rangerwas no exception.
As of now, experts estimate thatThe Lone Rangerwill earn around $275 million ($175 million domestically, $150 million internationally) in its entire theatrical run. EvenJohn Carterdid better worldwide, with $282 million, althoughThe Lone Ranger’s smaller budget and better U.S. performance makes it the cheaper mistake.
The good news for Disney is thatIron Man 3andMonsters Universitydid well enough this year to cushion theLone Rangerblow. Additionally, Bruckheimer’s reworked deal with Disney put some of the burden on his shoulders, so Disney may not be eating the cost alone.
Still, a $150 million write-down could sour Disney’s relationship with Bruckheimer, and throw Depp’s star power into question.Cinema Blendeven posits that Depp may be headed down the same path as Mike Myers — another once-bright star knocked off his perch after a massive flop. In an ideal world,The Lone Rangermight teach Hollywood that throwing big names and big bucks at a musty old property isn’t enough to guarantee a hit. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure we don’t live in that universe.
