"The masked man is back in the saddle"

The masked man is back in the saddle. After suspending production last summer over budgetary concerns, Walt Disney Studios started rolling the cameras in New Mexico this week on "The Lone Ranger," starring Armie Hammer (above) as the western hero and Johnny Depp as Tonto.

"They're doing studio soundstage work through March and then location work around the state after that," said New Mexico Film Office director Nick Maniatis.

The film will shoot at Albuquerque Studios, in the Rio Puerco Valley and near Silver City while in New Mexico. Filming will also take place in Arizona, Utah and Colorado, according to a statement from Disney.

Production was set to start in October, but Disney shelved it in August until producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski trimmed the budget to around $210 million from an estimated $250 million to $275 million.