Johnny Depp Transforms Into Scrooge in New ‘Ebenezer’ Photos and Wild Cast List

While Christmas movie season is still a few months away, the promotional efforts for this year’s most anticipated holiday release have ramped up significantly. Entertainment Weekly’s Fall Movie Preview has shared a new set of images from Ti West’s ‘Ebenezer’, providing fans with their clearest look yet at this star-studded reimagining of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

The collaboration between West and Dickens might seem unconventional at first glance. West is known for his low-budget horror hits like ‘X’ and ‘Pearl’, which starkly contrasts with the heartwarming, redemption-focused narrative of a Victorian ghost story. This intriguing pairing has drawn considerable attention since the project was first announced.

At the heart of the film is Johnny Depp, who takes on the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge in what is expected to be one of his most scrutinized performances in recent years. The newly released photos feature Depp adorned with aging prosthetics alongside Ian McKellen, Tramell Tillman, and Rupert Grint, offering a first look at the film’s spectral visitors as it prepares for its theatrical debut.

Depp has openly discussed the pressure of portraying a character so closely tied to previous performances. He shared his initial reluctance to accept the role, admitting he thought, “there’s no one who can do it as good as Alastair Sim did in the 30s or whatever,” but ultimately decided that past reputation shouldn’t deter him from exploring new avenues, as noted in comments captured by Deadline at CinemaCon.

‘Ebenezer’ heavily features its ensemble cast, with McKellen portraying the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner who triggers the story’s supernatural events. Andrea Riseborough will embody the Ghost of Christmas Past, while Tillman, fresh off his breakout role in ‘Severance’, will play the Ghost of Christmas Present. Daisy Ridley joins the spirit trio, with Rupert Grint as the beleaguered Bob Cratchit, Sam Claflin as Scrooge’s nephew Fred, and Arthur Conti portraying a younger version of the title character.

The film’s marketing emphasizes a unique angle: rather than simply retelling the classic story, ‘Ebenezer’ aims to delve into Scrooge’s formative years before he became the notorious miser, under the tagline “The name you know, the story you don’t.” Nathaniel Halpern, recognized for his work on ‘Legion’ and ‘Tales from the Loop’, penned the screenplay, with Emma Watts producing.

This project holds personal significance for Depp, marking his first major studio release since 2018’s ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ and 2019’s ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’. His return to a big-budget ensemble film coincides with ‘Ebenezer’ facing off against a competing ‘Christmas Carol’ adaptation from Warner Bros., directed by Robert Eggers and featuring Willem Dafoe as Scrooge.

As audiences await to see whether they prefer West’s gothic, horror-infused interpretation or Eggers’ version, Paramount is not wasting any time in generating excitement. ‘Ebenezer’ is set to hit theaters on November 13, strategically positioned as a Thanksgiving-weekend counterprogramming option ahead of the usual December holiday release rush.

With EW’s latest photos adding to the steady stream of first-look content since the film’s poster and trailer were unveiled earlier this summer, anticipation for ‘Ebenezer’ continues to build as its release date approaches.

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