MUMBAI: Walt Disney Studios has stopped the pre-production work on The Lone Ranger that was to star Johnny Depp as Tonto.

While some in the industry say that everyone involved with the film is talking about next steps, while others thing that the move could be the studios ploy to reduce the film’s budget.

All kinds of reasons that Disney would tread is also being attached like the Depp heft, Jerry Bruckheimer‘s producer heft and Gore Verbinski‘s director heft. Verbinski, who is attached to direct The Lone Ranger, directed Depp in Rango and al;o in three Pirates films.

The studio had already announced that The Lone Ranger would release on 21 December next year.