The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp – First pic

The first image of 'The Lone Ranger' has been released starring Armie Hammer as the masked hero of the title and Johnny Depp sporting a fetching crow hat as his side-kick Tonto.

Jerry Bruckheimer tweeted the image earlier today, finally giving us visual evidence that the troubled project is up and running.

[Related story: William Fichtner to play baddie in 'The Lone Ranger']

An adaptation of the classic western TV series, the film also stars Tom Wilkinson, Helena Bonham Carter (Her and Depp? But this isn't a Tim Burton movie!) and Barry Pepper.

The film recently began filming in Mexico with Gore Verbinski at the helm.

The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked ex-Texas Ranger (Hammer) who, with his Native American companion Tonto (Depp), fights injustice in the American Old West.

He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show and, after proving to be a huge hit, subsequently spawned an equally popular television show that ran from 1949 to 1957. The characters have also featured in a host of comic books and movies.

'The Lone Ranger is set for release on 31 May 2013.