Helena Bonham Carter, Dwight Yoakam, Barry Pepper in ‘Lone Ranger’

Helena Bonham Carter, Barry Pepper, and country star turned actor Dwight Yoakam are in talks to join Gore Verbinski’s (Rango) take of The Lone Ranger. They would join a cast that already includes Armie Hammer in the title role, Johnny Depp as his sidekick Tonto, Ruth Wilson as the female lead and Tom Wilkinson as a railroad tycoon. Variety reports:

“Yoakam would play Butch Cavendish, leader of the Cavendish gang and the pic’s primary villain, while Pepper would play Captain J. Fuller, the leader of the seventh cavalry. Carter is still in early discussions — but if a deal closes, she would play the colorful madam of a local brothel.”

The script for The Lone Ranger was penned by Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio, and Justin Haythe and will revolve around the plight of a Texas Ranger (Hammer) who is ambushed and left for dead by Butch Cavendish and his gang, only to return as the crime-fighting masked title character. This looks like a potentially terrific cast for a project that is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. What am I missing?

Shooting for adaptation of the classic character is set to begin in mid-October in Texas and New Mexico for a release date in December 2012.