Disney is picking up more steam with it's modern treatment of The Lone Ranger. Armie Hammer (The Social Network) and Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) are onboard to play the titular hero and his ally Tonto respectively, and word is now getting around that casting of the female lead is in the final stages. Deadline reports British actress Ruth Wilson is in talks to play Rebecca, whose character details are not given but definitely billed as the female lead.
Wilson remains a relative unknown in the U.S. save her involvement in AMC's miniseries/remake of The Prisoner in 2009. However, she has enjoyed a very healthy career on TV in her home country, earning a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the 2006 Masterpiece Theatre version of Jane Eyre and most recently in Luther, alongside Idris Elba (Thor, The Wire).
The character(s) of The Lone Ranger originated from the 1933 radio serials about a masked Texas Ranger who, alongside his friend Tonto, battled various criminal elements throughout the Western landscape. The series made the jump to TV in 1949 and ran until 1957, further endearing the Ranger into popular culture.
Gore Verbinski (director of the first three “Pirates” films) will direct and the project is slated for a December 21, 2012 release.