Depp to star as Scrooge in Ti West’s Christmas Carol remake

Depp’s Major Studio Return

Johnny Depp is in final negotiations with Paramount Pictures to star in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, marking his most significant Hollywood comeback since the highly publicized legal proceedings involving his ex-wife Amber Heard. The project represents a bold move from Paramount’s new leadership following the Skydance merger, signaling confidence in Depp’s ability to anchor a major studio tentpole release.

The actor will portray Ebenezer Scrooge, the misanthropic and miserly businessman in 19th-century London who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in an effort to save himself from an afterlife of torment. This role represents a departure from Depp’s typical eccentric character choices, offering an opportunity to inhabit one of literature’s most iconic characters.

Paramount describes the film 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.” This framing suggests a darker, more psychologically intense interpretation of the classic tale rather than a family-friendly holiday movie.

Should the deal close as expected, Paramount has already secured a release date of November 13, 2026, positioning the film strategically ahead of the holiday season while avoiding direct competition with Christmas Day releases. This early November slot suggests confidence in the film’s ability to generate sustained box office performance throughout the holiday corridor.

Ti West’s Vision

The selection of Ti West to direct Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol represents one of the project’s most intriguing creative decisions. West, the critically acclaimed filmmaker behind the horror trilogy X, Pearl, and MaXXXine, has built his reputation on atmospheric tension, character-driven narratives, and meticulous period detail—qualities that could translate brilliantly to Dickens’ gothic tale.

This marks West’s first major studio feature, a significant career evolution for a director who has primarily worked within the independent horror space through partnerships with A24. His previous films have demonstrated remarkable visual sophistication, psychological depth, and ability to elicit powerful performances from his actors—all skills directly applicable to adapting A Christmas Carol.

West’s involvement suggests Ebenezer will lean into the darker, more haunting aspects of Dickens’ story. The ghosts, Scrooge’s psychological torment, and the social commentary about Victorian England’s treatment of the poor could receive more serious dramatic weight under West’s direction than in previous adaptations that emphasized family-friendly sentimentality.

Industry observers note that pairing a horror auteur with a classic holiday tale creates fascinating possibilities. West’s trademark attention to atmosphere and dread could transform familiar story beats into genuinely unsettling sequences, while his demonstrated ability to balance horror with emotional resonance (particularly evident in Pearl) suggests he can preserve the story’s redemptive heart.

Cast and Production Details

Andrea Riseborough has been confirmed to co-star in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, though her specific role remains undisclosed. The Oscar-nominated actress, known for powerful performances in To Leslie, Birdman, and Oblivion, brings dramatic gravitas to any project. In traditional Christmas Carol adaptations, prominent female roles include Belle (Scrooge’s former fiancée), Fan (Scrooge’s sister), and Mrs. Cratchit, though West’s adaptation may introduce new characters or reimagine existing ones.

Screenplay: Nathaniel Halpern, the acclaimed writer behind Tales from the Loop and Legion, has penned the script. Halpern’s previous work demonstrates sophisticated approach to speculative fiction, psychological complexity, and philosophical themes—qualities that align well with exploring Scrooge’s supernatural journey of transformation. His involvement suggests the adaptation will emphasize psychological and emotional depth alongside ghostly visitations.

Production Team: Emma Watts serves as producer, bringing extensive experience from her tenure overseeing film production at major studios. Stephen Deuters and Jason Forman have been announced as executive producers. The production timeline suggests filming will likely commence in early to mid-2025 to meet the November 2026 release date, allowing adequate time for post-production, visual effects work, and marketing campaigns.

The project reportedly began taking shape in summer 2024, before Paramount’s merger with Skydance. When the merger received approval, various development projects were temporarily halted for review by new management. Ebenezer emerged from this evaluation as a priority project, indicating strong belief in its commercial and creative potential.

Competing Christmas Carol Adaptations

Interestingly, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol represents the second major studio adaptation of Dickens’ classic currently in development, creating an unusual competitive dynamic. Robert Eggers, the visionary director behind The Witch, The Lighthouse, and the recent Nosferatu, is developing his own version of A Christmas Carol at Warner Bros., with Willem Dafoe reportedly circling the role of Scrooge.

Both adaptations share fascinating parallels—each helmed by a director known primarily for horror and atmospheric storytelling, each pursuing darker, more adult-oriented interpretations of the material. This simultaneous development suggests renewed industry interest in reimagining A Christmas Carol as mature, psychologically complex cinema rather than family entertainment.

However, Paramount’s November 2026 release date gives Ebenezer a significant timing advantage, likely allowing it to premiere before the Warner Bros. version. Eggers is currently filming Werwulf (a medieval werewolf film), making A Christmas Carol his next project after that production wraps. This timeline suggests the Eggers adaptation won’t arrive until 2027 or later, giving Paramount’s version clear runway.

The competing adaptations reflect broader trends in Hollywood—mining classic literary properties for fresh interpretations, trusting auteur directors with established IP, and recognizing that audiences respond to sophisticated, artistically ambitious takes on familiar stories. Both projects distinguish themselves from countless previous Christmas Carol adaptations through director-driven vision rather than star-driven spectacle.

Depp’s Career Trajectory

Johnny Depp’s casting in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol represents the culmination of a carefully managed career rehabilitation following his highly publicized legal battles. After being removed from the Fantastic Beasts franchise in 2020 following a libel case against British tabloid The Sun, Depp largely retreated from Hollywood studio filmmaking, focusing instead on independent and international productions.

His post-trial work includes the French period drama Jeanne du Barry (2023), where he portrayed King Louis XV to positive reviews at Cannes Film Festival; Minamata (2020), a powerful drama about photographer W. Eugene Smith; and various smaller independent features that maintained his acting profile while avoiding mainstream Hollywood scrutiny.

More recently, Depp shot the thriller Day Drinker for Lionsgate opposite Penélope Cruz, expected to premiere in 2026. He also has Terry Gilliam’s project in development, where he’s set to play Satan opposite Jeff Bridges’ God. Additionally, Depp recently directed Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, featuring Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham, and Al Pacino, scheduled for U.S. release on November 7, 2025.

The Ebenezer casting represents Depp’s first major studio role since the 2022 U.S. defamation trial, where both he and Amber Heard were found to have defamed each other, though the jury awarded Depp substantially more in damages. The Paramount deal signals that major studios are willing to work with Depp again, betting that audiences have moved past the controversy and will embrace him in the right role.

Industry observers note that Scrooge represents an interesting strategic choice for Depp’s comeback—a character defined by redemption and transformation, playing into public narratives about second chances and personal growth. The role also allows Depp to demonstrate dramatic range beyond the quirky, mannered performances that characterized much of his recent work, potentially reestablishing him as a serious dramatic actor capable of anchoring prestige projects.