Johnny Depp is officially back in a major studio Hollywood picture. Paramount Pictures just dropped the official trailer for Ebenezer, casting the actor as the most famous miser in literary history, Ebenezer Scrooge. Directed by horror auteur Ti West, this isn't your grandfather's cozy holiday special. It's a dark, supernatural gothic thriller based on Charles Dickens' 1843 classic A Christmas Carol.
Set for a November 13 release, the movie aims to upend everything you think you know about Victorian London's greediest resident. The tagline sets the exact tone: "The name you know, the story you don't."
If you've followed Depp's career trajectory over the last several years, you know he leaned heavily into indie projects, European period films like Jeanne du Barry, and musical pursuits. This marks his first major mainstream Hollywood role since 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Choosing a twisted, stylistic gothic ghost story with Ti West at the helm is a calculated bet. It plays directly to Depp's lifelong affinity for eccentric, gothic characters.
What the Ebenezer Trailer Reveals
The newly released footage introduces an almost unrecognizable Johnny Depp. He's pale, gaunt, and dripping in cold bitterness as a wealthy businessman who hoards his wealth and slams the door on charity collectors. Family members trying to bridge the gap are shoved away with chilling coldness.
Then comes Christmas Eve.
The supernatural dread kicks into gear when Scrooge is visited by the decaying, spectral apparition of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, played by screen legend Ian McKellen. Marley delivers the heavy warning about the three visiting spirits. True to Depp's quirky style, the trailer injects flashes of dark comedy into the terror. At one point, Scrooge dryly asks if he can just meet with all three entities at once and get it over with.
Beyond Depp and McKellen, the ensemble cast is stacked. Rupert Grint stars as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's long-suffering employee. Andrea Riseborough takes on the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past, while Tramell Tillman embodies the Ghost of Christmas Present. Daisy Ridley and Sam Claflin also round out the prominent cast.
Why Ti West is the Right Director for This Material
Hollywood has adapted A Christmas Carol hundreds of times. From animated versions with Jim Carrey to Muppet-filled musical numbers, the story is practically baked into December culture. So why should anyone care about another retelling?
Blame the director. Ti West carved out a massive horror following with his acclaimed trilogy X, Pearl, and MaXXXine. He knows how to build oppressive atmosphere, psychological tension, and gritty period aesthetics. Handing a classic ghost story to a filmmaker obsessed with dread and style changes the equation entirely.
Instead of a moralizing family fable, Ebenezer looks like a psychological ghost story with teeth. The imagery leans hard into shadows, flickering candles, and visceral regret. The trailer features a moment where an older Scrooge screams at his younger self—played by Arthur Conti—highlighting a deep, painful psychological scar rather than simple holiday grumpiness.
What to Expect on November 13
Audiences are tired of safe, sterilized studio remakes. When a project combines an actor who thrives in macabre fantasy with a horror director known for subverting expectations, people pay attention. The early online reception has been massive, with millions of views racking up within hours of release.
Mark your calendar for November 13. We're about to find out if this supernatural spin on Dickens can rewrite the rules of holiday cinema.
