Johnny Depp to play Tonto in Lone Ranger movie

Gore Verbinski may not have returned to direct Johnny Depp in the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie, but evidently there’s no bad blood between the two.

Not only have they just finished work together on CGI animated movie Rango , they’ve also signed on to create a movie update of The Lone Ranger .

Based on the infamous ‘50s radio and TV show, the movie has been rattling around production limbo since 2007, when it was first announced that producer Jerry Bruckheimer was keen to craft a Pirates -style take on The Lone Ranger with Verbinski.

Now Deadline report that a deal’s been struck with the director, while Depp has signed to play Tonto, the Native American companion to the titular Ranger. Which clearly indicates that Depp will be jumping into the dressing up box again.

No word who will be playing the Ranger, most famously played by Clayton Moore for 208 episodes of the TV series. Could Verbinski be keen on a Depp-Orlando Bloom re-team?

Depp and Verbinski’s next film, Rango , will open on 4 March, 2011.