The newest film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale marks the actor’s return to the big screen after more than 7 years
NEED TO KNOW
-
Johnny Depp stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in a darker adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’
-
The film, directed by Ti West, premieres Nov. 13 and features co-stars Andrea Riseborough and Ian McKellen
-
Depp surprised fans in character at San Diego Comic-Con as promotions for the holiday film gained momentum
This winter, Johnny Depp is going full Ebenezer.
The Ebenezer trailer kicks off by reintroducing Depp to audiences as “The Master of Misfits” before cutting to Depp as Scrooge saying, “It’s good to be back.” The trailer then shares a peek at Ebenezer with his on-screen family, including Daisy Ridley as Emily Cratchit and Sam Claflin as Fred, as they toast Ebenezer.
Audiences watch Ebenezer interact with the Ghost of Christmas Past (Andrea Riseborough) as an adult and child, as well as Depp’s Ebenezer’s confrontation with Bob Cratchit (Rupert Grint) and a volatile outburst against a calm Marley (Ian McKellen), as the text reads: “The name you know. The story you don’t.”
The brief teaser concludes with the notable character shouting his famed catchphrase, “Humbug,” to Fred, as he tries to wish Ebenezer a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Credit: Jaap Buitendijk/Paramount Pictures
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The story promises a darker adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 A Christmas Carol, a novella that revolves around the moral reckoning of Ebenezer, a bitter elderly man who seeks moral redemption after being visited by a number of memorable ghosts on the night of Christmas Eve.
The upcoming film adaptation, currently in the works by Paramount Pictures and set to hit theaters on Nov. 13, was first announced last October with Depp as its star and MAXXXINE and Pearl‘s Ti West stepping up as director.
The first official poster for the film was released via Instagram on July 23 and featured an obstructed view of Depp’s face, snow flurrying down onto the brim of his tall black hat.
Promotions for the holiday film have been picking up momentum since mid-summer. Depp made a surprise in-character appearance at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, where he addressed crowds with his character’s usual bitter demeanor from within an installation, per reporting by Deadline.
Depp was first spotted looking unrecognizable in full Scrooge apparel in January while working on set in London alongside co-star Riseborough.
Credit: Paramount Pictures
McKellen shared with Variety in April that the actor was in “spankingly good form” while shooting the film, and “effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious — all at the same time.”
Ebenezer marks Depp’s most recent big-time film appearance since Waiting for the Barbarians in 2019 and his run as the titular villain of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018. Around that time, he also featured in the 2017 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
In 2024, Depp directed Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, a period drama documenting the life of an Italian bohemian artist. The film made its U.S. theatrical debut in November 2025.
Following his big-screen return with Ebenezer, the actor currently has another upcoming film appearance on the books for Day Drinker, an action-thriller film also starring Penélope Cruz that is set to premiere in 2027.
Previous adaptations of Dickens’ tale include the recent 2022 animated film Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, a 2009 adaptation starring Jim Carrey and the 1951 classic featuring Alastair Sim.
Ebenezer will premiere in theaters on Nov. 13.
Read the full article here
