High hopes for ‘Lone Ranger,’ but westerns don’t always score
Disney’s “Lone Ranger” is opening wide this week with hopes of striking gold, but projections suggest box office glory might be more of a mirage, even while featuring the world’s most bankable star.
Although they’re considered a quintessential American genre, westerns don’t always score big at the box office.
“Lone Ranger,” starring Johnny Depp as Native American Tonto and Armie Hammer as the title character, is expected to open with a five-day $70-million take at the box office after costing at least $225 million to make.
REVIEW: Not even Johnny Depp can save ‘The Lone Ranger’
Some westerns have fared just fine at the box office. But adjusting for inflation, none have broken the $200-million milestone for domestic gross.
Ethan and Joel Coen’s 2010 “True Grit” remake had a domestic gross totaling $171 million, and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” took in $163 million, according to Hollywood.com’s Paul Dergarabedian.
Interestingly, “Dances With Wolves,” from 1990, still boasts the top unadjusted domestic gross among Westerns with $184 million.
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On Twitter: @rfaughnder
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