The Lone Ranger won't be in theaters until July, but we've suddenly been struck by a number of Johnny Depp-related news stories. Yesterday it was revealed that Disney had offered Kon-Tiki directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg the chance to make Pirates of the Caribbean 5 - the next sequel in the franchise that stars Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow - and then it was reported that the star would be walking away from the gangster drama Black Mass, in which he would have starred as Boston kingpin Whitey Bulger. And today brings more big news for the actor's fans.
James Bobin, who most notably directed the Oscar-winning The Muppets for Disney, is reportedly now in early talks to take the helm of Alice in Wonderland 2, according to The Wrap. The site has heard the information about the deal from two different sources, who add that Depp will likely return as The Mad Hatter, the role he played in Tim Burton's 2010 adaptation. At this stage nothing is official between Bobin and the production, as the filmmaker has neither met with the producers nor Depp for approval. Linda Woolverton, who is credited with writing Burton's film, is handling the screenplay. Disney had no comment on the story.
An English filmmaker, Bobin got his start working on both the US and UK versions of Da Ali G Show as well as Flight of the Conchords. The Muppets was his feature directorial debut and he is currently hard at work on The Muppets...Again!, which will be in theaters next year.
