Footage shows Depp's near-fatal Lone Ranger accident

Dramatic footage has surfaced showing the moment Johnny Depp fell from a horse during a stunt on the set of The Lone Ranger.

Depp, 50, was thrown from the powerful animal while filming the upcoming Western movie and footage released today shows the moment he fell from the horse.

Gasps can be heard from cast and crew watching the accident, before someone yells: "Stay back guys, apart from the medics."

Depp revealed the accident (watch the footage in the video above) nearly killed him in interviews last year, but believes the bond he forged with his horse made it react instinctively to ensure his fall wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Depp - who plays the Lone Ranger's Native American sidekick Tonto - said: "I'm lucky to be here. I've done a number of films on horseback and I've taken a couple of spills but this was a violent one.

"I had a good relationship with the horse, which was named Scout, and when I look at the tape I can see that Scout saved my life.

"I went down badly and I was dragged for 25 yards and in the end the horse just jumped over me and clipped me with his back legs."

Depp's co-star Arnie Hammer has also revealed his own near-death experience on the set of the film.

Hammer, who plays the titular hero Lone Ranger in the film, said he needed to overcome his nerves for a scene in which he stood on top of a rickety platform overlooking a 600-metre cliff.

Hammer was tethered by a piece of rope for five hours until producers got the perfect shot.

He said his only thought was, "I'm gonna die ... Oh good there's a helicopter. And now it's swaying. Definitely gonna die.

"Oh, I didn't die. Great. Oh we're going to do it again? I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die.

- AAP with Bang! Showbiz and nzherald.co.nz