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Depp returns to a studio spotlight with a classic role
Johnny Depp is reportedly in final talks to play Ebenezer Scrooge in a new feature titled 'Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol', a Paramount Pictures adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella. If the deal is sealed, the studio is targeting a November 13, 2026 release — a strategically timed holiday rollout that positions the film for awards-season conversation and seasonal box-office appeal.
Directed by Ti West, the filmmaker best known for tense, atmospheric horror like Pearl and X (and the recent Maxxxine), this version is already being framed as a darker, psychologically rich take on Scrooge. The screenplay is penned by Nathaniel Halpern, who has written for ambitious genre TV like Tales from the Loop and Legion, and Andrea Riseborough is attached in a supporting role. Emma Watts is producing, with Steven Deuterz and Jason Forman credited as executive producers.
How this adaptation could stand out
What makes this iteration interesting is the marriage of Dickensian period drama to a director steeped in contemporary horror. Ti West's sensibility could tilt the familiar moral fable into something more unsettling — imagine the ghostly visitations as fevered, atmospheric set-pieces rather than broad comic moments. In that sense, the film may sit alongside modern reimaginings of classics that favor psychological depth over straightforward nostalgia.
Depp's Scrooge will be measured against decades of memorable portrayals: Alastair Sim's iconic 1951 turn, Bill Murray's sardonic Scrooged in 1988, Michael Caine's warm but stern Muppet-era performance in 1992, and Jim Carrey's energetic 2009 animated version. Each has leaned a different way — comedy, warmth, or heightened fantasy — and West's version appears to promise a more ominous, character-driven path.
Context: Depp's career arc and cinematic trends
This project marks Depp's first major-studio collaboration since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). After a period dominated by legal battles and a pivot to independent productions such as Minamata and Jeanne du Barry, Depp's return to a tentpole studio film signals a potential re-entry into mainstream cinema. He also recently shot Day Drinker opposite Penélope Cruz for Lionsgate, another title expected in 2026.
Broadly, Hollywood has revisited classic literary material with varied tonal experiments in recent years — from grim, arthouse reworkings to genre mash-ups. A Dickens adaptation helmed by a horror director fits into that trend: familiar IP used as a vehicle for auteur expression.
Competing versions and industry buzz
Adding spice to the story, director Robert Eggers is reportedly developing his own take on A Christmas Carol for Warner Bros., with Willem Dafoe in talks to play Scrooge. Two high-profile adaptations in development at once suggests studios believe there is appetite for fresh spins on Dickens, especially ones that can be marketed around the holidays.
Trivia and behind-the-scenes notes: Dickens wrote the novella in 1843 as a concise morality tale, and Scrooge has been reinterpreted for stage and screen more than almost any other fictional Victorian figure. Casting Depp — an actor known for chameleonic transformations — revives the tradition of star-driven Scrooges while offering the potential for a uniquely idiosyncratic performance.
Film critic Anna Kovacs offers a perspective: 'Depp's Scrooge could be a career-correcting role that leans into nuance rather than spectacle. With Ti West directing, expect a Scrooge who is haunted in the most literal and psychological sense.'
Whether 'Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol' becomes the definitive modern Scrooge will depend on tone, design, and how much the filmmakers balance Dickens' moral core with a contemporary appetite for darker, auteur-driven retellings. For now, the project is one of the most intriguing holiday films on the horizon.
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