Johnny Depp to make a massive comeback to acting as he joins classic Charles Dickens novel remake
Johnny Depp is all set to spread his acting magic once again with Paramount Pictures' 'Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.' Directorial venture of Ti West, the movie will be an adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic holiday story, where Depp will play the character of Scrooge. Additionally, Andrea Riseborough is also set to star in the film, which Paramount is targeting for a November 13, 2026, release.
Depp will star as Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly 19th-century London businessman visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future to save himself from an afterlife of torment. Notably, this role is famously portrayed in holiday classics such as 1951's 'Scrooge,' 1988's 'Scrooged,' 1992's 'Muppet Christmas Carol,' and 2009's 'A Christmas Carol,' as per Variety. Robert Eggers, director of 'Nosferatu,' is also developing his own adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' at Warner Bros., with Willem Dafoe rumored for the role of Scrooge.
It is also worth noting that Depp's upcoming Scrooge role marks his first major studio project since 2018's 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,' from which he was fired following a libel case against The Sun. Since then, Depp has appeared in indie films like 'Minamata' and 'Jeanne du Barry' and recently completed the thriller 'Day Drinker' with Penélope Cruz, set for a 2026 release. He is also directing 'Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness,' his first film as a director since 1997's 'The Brave,' starring Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham, and Al Pacino, opening in US theaters on November 7.
Talking about 'Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol,' while Riseborough is set to co-star in Ebenezer, her role is unidentified; she may play Scrooge's ex-fiancée Belle, Mrs. Cratchit, or any (or all) of the film's three ghosts, as per Entertainment Weekly. The film's logline describes it as "A thrilling ghost story set in Dickens' London, following one man's supernatural journey to face his past, present, and future and fight for a second chance." Emma Watts will produce, with Stephen Deuters and Jason Forman serving as executive producers.
Ebenezer will be Depp's first major American studio film since his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, which concluded in 2022 when a jury found the actress had defamed him in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed; the two later settled after her appeal.
