'The Lone Ranger' Faces Money, Schedule Troubles

Does this project have a "cut your losses" point?

The big-screen return of "The Lone Ranger" that Johnny Depp has so long championed just looks more and more unhealthy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced, Gore Verbinski-directed feature led by Depp as the masked man has seen its already trimmed $215-million budget balloon back to the $250-million neighborhood. It's also reportedly weeks behind schedule.

Disney had already shut the project down this past August when its budget reached exactly this point. To keep the project moving forward, Verbinski, Bruckheimer and Depp acquiesced to eliminating several major action sequences and even waived their own upfront fees to keep things afloat.

Since shooting began Feb. 28 in New Mexico, the production is reportedly weeks behind a 120-day shooting schedule. Though a Disney representative calls the $250 million figure inaccurate, rewrites are underway to cut still more scenes.

Well, what's to be expected from Verbinski, who taxed budgets to their limits making the first three "Pirates Of The Carribean" films?

Verbinski reportedly requested that brand-new locomotives be constructed for the production. Persistent dust storms haven't helped keep things moving, either, damaging sets in the process.

With the shoot scheduled to wrap up in August, the film hasn't lost the window on its planned July 3, 2013 release date.