James Badge Dale could board 'Lone Ranger'

By Adnan Tezer Jan 13, 2012, 20:22 GMT

James Badge Dale is in talks to join the cast of Disney's bigscreen version of the iconic "The Lone Ranger."

According to Deadline.com, Armie Hammer is starring as the Lone Ranger opposite Johnny Depp as Tonto.

The cast also includes Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, Barry Pepper, Helena Bonham Carter and Dwight Yoakam.

Dale, who can be seen in "Shame" and the upcoming "The Grey," would play Hammer's older brother.

Gore Verbinski is directing from a script by Justin Haythe, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio.

Jerry Bruckheimer is producing with a May 31, 2013 release date set.

Production will begin in February.

"The Lone Ranger" was created by George W. Trendle and developed by Fran Striker.

The title character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West who rights the injustices he encounters with the aid of his wise Native American companion, Tonto.

"The Lone Ranger" premiered on radio in 1933, leading to nearly 3,000 radio shows, while the TV series with Clayton Moore ran for five seasons beginning in 1949.

Many of the sayings on the show, ("Kemo Sabe," "Hi-ho, Silver, away," "Who was that masked man, anyway?") have become embedded in pop culture as well as the theme music from the William Tell Overture.

Reruns of the original TV show are still broadcast today, sixty-three years after their initial broadcast.