http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080925...tainmentpeople

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Superstar actor Johnny Depp has signed on to three new Disney projects, including the fourth installment of the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, the entertainment industry newspaper Variety confirmed Thursday.

Along with the reprisal of off-beat pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, Depp will star as the long-suffering Native American sidekick Tonto in a new version of the iconic "Lone Ranger," produced by hit producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

If this wasn't enough for the 45-year-old actor, Depp will also play the Mad Hatter in director Tim Burton's adaptation of the classic "Alice in Wonderland," using a mix of 3D animation and performance capture technology similar to that used for 2007's "Beowulf."