As our beloved leader Vince has written several times now, Disney’s The Lone Ranger hasn’t exactly been a huge hit at the box office since opening poorly last weekend, and some people may even go as far as to call it a colossal stinker of a flaming bag of poopies on your grandpa’s doorstep. But those people are just haters, as the kids I pay to not cover my car in chewing gum would say, and Disney knows that Johnny Depp’s star power is still as bright and strong as it has ever been.
According to Deadline, Disney is so confident in Depp’s appeal that the House of Mouse gave him a first look deal back in March, and part of that agreement is apparently the Alice in Wonderland sequel that was rumored to be in the works last December, for which Depp is currently finalizing how many bags with dollar signs he’ll receive.
… my insiders say that deal (which used to be based at Warner Bros) was set and signed back with Disney in March, not recently, and just never announced. What is new is that Depp is in final discussions at Disney for the much anticipated Alice In Wonderland sequel with James Bobin (of the recent Muppets reboots) subbing for Tim Burton as director. Johnny’s turn as the Mad Hatter in that 3D modern classic, of course, made over $1B worldwide grosses for the studio in 2010. (Via Deadline.toldja.com)
It still blows my mind that Alice in Wonderland made $1 billion, including an opening weekend haul of $116 million. But that’s Disney’s proof that Depp is still a bankable leading man, despite what The Lone Ranger’s pathetic turnout suggests. And if anyone really questions Depp about his star power, I’m guessing he’ll just point to Amber Heard and do some hip thrusts.
