After months of casting speculation THE SOCIAL NETWORK star Armie Hammer has signed on to don the famous black mask for THE LONE RANGER.

As previously reported Johnny Depp will play the part of The Lone Ranger’s faithful Native American sidekick Tonto – who by the sounds of things will actually take more of a central role in the flick…

“The only version of ‘The Lone Ranger’ I’m interested in doing is ‘Don Quixote’ told from Sancho Panza’s point of view… And hence I was honest early on with Johnny that Tonto is the part. We’re not going to do it straight, everyone knows that story. I don’t want to tell that story.“

…says director Gore Verbinski (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN; RANGO).

Filming will commence as soon as Depp is finished working on Tim Burton’s adaptation of DARK SHADOWS, and will be released late 2012.

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