Disney Loads Up on Some Depp

Disney seems to like what the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy has done for their coffers, as they've recruited the movies' Academy Award nominated star, Johnny Depp, for not one, not two, but possibly three future films.

First up is no big surprise: he'll don the chapeau of the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland redo. Then there's the no-brainer, a possible Pirates 4. But the real surprise is Depp's casting in the long rumored about update of The Lone Ranger. No, he won't be the Masked Man of the Wild West, but his faithful companion Tonto! This one just got a whole lot more interesting, kimosabe, especially since they would (should) have to get an actor of equal stature to play the title character. Christian Bale immediately comes to mind, but he may be overloaded on franchise flicks of late.

In more Disney news, Cars 2 has been moved up from 2012 to 2011, while none other then Oprah Winfrey has joined the cast of The Princess and the Frog; she'll voice the mother of the title character (the princess, not the frog).