Johnny depp the lone ranger
![johnny depp the lone ranger johnny depp the lone ranger](http://www.zoom-cinema.fr/media/photos/news/6991/johnny-depp-lone-ranger.jpg)
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe made a hefty $745 million worldwide in 2005, but the second film, the ironically more action-centric (ie - stereotypically male-friendly) Prince Caspian, made $419 million in summer 2008, a big comedown with a big $220 million budget behind it.
![johnny depp the lone ranger johnny depp the lone ranger](https://static1.purebreak.com/articles/8/56/05/8/@/190623-the-lone-ranger-200x200-3.jpg)
The first genuinely worthwhile franchise after National Treasure, which lasted two films at Disney and one atįox, is of course The Chronicles of Narnia. Since those two films, which inexplicably never spawned a third entry, Disney has been basically been batting nearly 0.00 when it comes to creating new live-action fantasy franchises, with two very big exceptions. Three years later, National Treasure: Book Of Secrets opened with a whopping $44 million over Christmas weekend and ended up with $219 million domestic and $457 million worldwide. That first November Nicolas Cage-fronted 'history is adventure!' 2004 release opened with $35 million and ended up with $174 million domestic and $347 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.
![johnny depp the lone ranger johnny depp the lone ranger](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/qdmIbAEZLXWb4vlY0Dn0FuqEn3M/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2013/06/28/567/n/1922398/0f2805a251f6f3cd_171678368_10/i/Johnny-Depp-attended-Moscow-premiere-Lone-Ranger.jpg)
The last successful would-be live-action franchises was National Treasure, way back in November 2004 and The Chronicles of Narnia back in 2005. Disney has been desperately trying to replicate that success for the last ten years since, with next-to-nothing to show for it. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was a game-changer in a lot of ways ten summers ago, but just one of its effects was the idea that Disney could fashion an entirely new franchise, one loosely based on one of their existing theme park rides no less, that could reap them hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars in worldwide box office and related merchandising sales. What The Lone Ranger represents is yet another attempt by Disney to actually create an ongoing live-action franchise, something they have utterly failed at time and time again for the last eight years. But Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger means more than just whether or not Johnny Depp can do his Jack Sparrow magic trick twice or whether or not Armie Hammer is a viable leading man.