Johnny Depp returns to Hollywood after 8 years as Ebenezer Scrooge in new horror-fantasy, surprises fans with new avatar

Paramount Pictures on Thursday announced its upcoming feature film Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, with Johnny Depp playing Ebenezer Scrooge.

Updated on: Jul 24, 2026, 07:07:57 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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Actor Johnny Depp's exile from Hollywood studios has ended after eight years. On Thursday, Paramount Pictures announced its upcoming feature film Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, with Johnny Depp playing the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. This is the star's first major Hollywood studio film since 2018 when a domestic abuse case against ex-wife Amber Heard derailed his career.

Johnny Depp appeared as Ebenezer Scrooge at the San Diego Comic Con.

Johnny Depp to play Scrooge

On Thursday, Paramount also unveiled the film's title poster and confirmed that the theatrical release is scheduled for November 13.

"The name you know. The story you don't. @johnnydepp is Ebenezer Scrooge in #EbenezerMovie - only in theatres November 13," the makers announced in the caption.

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A post shared by Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie)

Directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Ti West, known for X, Pearl, and MaXXXine, the film offers a horror-tinged fantasy reinterpretation of Charles Dickens' 1843 classic novella A Christmas Carol. The adaptation is set to present the familiar story with a darker, supernatural approach.

Johnny Depp headlines the cast as Ebenezer Scrooge, alongside Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Daisy Ridley as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit.

Johnny Depp wows fans at Comic Con

Hours after the announcement, Johnny Depp interacted with fans at the San Diego Comic Con, promoting the new title for the first time. The actor mock scolded Comic-Con International attendees in character as Ebenezer Scrooge. “Do you have jobs? It seems as though you have so much spare time. Why are you here?” said the actor, clad in an overcoat and top hat as he emerged from a faux snow-lined downtown San Diego storefront marked with a “Scrooge and Marley” sign. A crowd gathered, recording on cellphones and calling out “Merry Christmas!”

"I can only say you're all very, very strange people. Humbug!" Depp called out gruffly, shuffling back inside the building.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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