Depp returns to Scrooge in new Dickens adaptation

Moviegoers will soon have a new version of a familiar holiday tale. Johnny Depp reprises the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a film that adapts Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. The production offers a black comedy take on the classic story, set in Victorian London. Depp’s character remains a miserly businessman who dislikes Christmas, before three spirits guide him toward redemption.

The film marks Depp’s return to mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. He has worked sporadically since 2020, a period defined by his divorce from Amber Heard and the subsequent legal battles. His recent credits include the 2023 French film Jeanne du Barry. In 2024, he directed and produced the Italian biopic Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, though he did not act in that project.

Paramount hosted press screenings in New York and London to generate early buzz. The world premiere took place at the Whitby Hotel in New York City on Nov. 1. A London premiere followed in Leicester Square on Nov. 9. The studio allowed attendees to share brief reactions on social media before full critics’ reviews are published on Nov. 12. The film is scheduled to open in theaters worldwide on Nov. 13.

The cast includes an ensemble of established actors alongside Depp. Tramell Tillman, Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, and Sam Claflin join the main lineup. Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes also appear in the film. Nathaniel Halpern wrote the screenplay for the adaptation.

Director Ti West helms the production. His previous work includes the A24 horror trilogy X, as well as The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers. He also directed In a Valley of Violence in 2016. Earlier films in his filmography include The Roost from 2005 and Trigger Man from 2007.

Depp’s next project is set for 2027. He will star in Day Drinker, a supernatural thriller produced by Lionsgate. The release of Ebenezer serves as a bridge between his previous sporadic work and this upcoming feature.

The film’s release date is fixed for Nov. 13. Critics’ reviews are expected to be available on Nov. 12. The social media reactions from the recent screenings provide the first public look at the film before it hits theaters.