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Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer’ Divides Early Viewers in First Reactions, Yet Nearly Everyone Agrees on His Scrooge

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Paramount Pictures
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Few stories have been adapted as often as Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella ‘A Christmas Carol’, which turns every new Scrooge into a high-stakes audition. With Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer‘ set to reach theaters on November 13, the question of whether the screen needs another trip through the ghosts of past, present and future has been hard to dodge.

Ti West, the horror filmmaker behind ‘Pearl’ and ‘MaXXXine’, directs from a script by Nathaniel Halpern. The project is also Depp’s first major studio role since ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ in 2018, following years dominated by his lengthy legal battle with Amber Heard. Principal photography began in Dublin and London in January, and Paramount has spent months building momentum, from first footage at CinemaCon in April to a surprise Comic-Con appearance in July, where Depp showed up in full Scrooge costume.

Now the first reactions to ‘Ebenezer’ are in. Paramount held press screenings in New York and a London premiere at Leicester Square on November 9, and attendees were allowed to post brief reactions on X ahead of full reviews. The early takes are split on the film itself, but they largely agree on one point: Depp’s Scrooge is the anchor.

Several viewers placed Depp alongside Alastair Sim and Michael Caine, while others ranked him with George C. Scott among the best modern Scrooges. Praise centered on a lively performance that mixes goofy charm with emotional weight, building through a soft redemption arc to a finale some felt lands harder than earlier versions.

Even viewers wary of yet another retelling came around. A critic who admitted to Dickens fatigue called it his favorite Depp performance in years, though he found parts of it cartoonish and felt Scrooge’s growth became clearer with each spirit’s visit. He also felt the darker approach brings more sincerity than many earlier versions.

Reactions were equally warm on West’s direction, with viewers pointing to spooky gothic touches, haunting visuals and strong set and sound design. Another critic called the film a great case study for why West should handle bigger blockbuster stories.

That tone was visible in the marketing too. The CinemaCon footage opened with Scrooge walking through town and delivering his famous humbug line to his nephew, and the first trailer, unveiled at Comic-Con in July, leaned into a darker, supernatural mood.

The supporting cast drew credit too. Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley, Andrea Riseborough is the Ghost of Christmas Past and Tramell Tillman is the Ghost of Christmas Present, while Sam Claflin plays Scrooge’s nephew Fred, Rupert Grint is Bob Cratchit and Arthur Conti appears as young Ebenezer.

The negative reactions share a common complaint: redundancy. A viewer who loved the set, production and sound design still felt Depp was leaning on his old tricks, while another felt the film is more about Depp’s career resurgence than about anything new to say with Dickens. A third called it merely fine, and the harshest reaction labeled it chaotic and badly judged while still praising the production design and score.

Variety described the response from film press as largely positive, but these remain individual reactions rather than a consensus. Numbers from earlier in the process were encouraging, too. Puck reported that an August 11 test screening in Paramus, New Jersey scored the film 80, with Depp earning an 86, though test scores don’t reliably predict box office and Paramount declined to comment.

At the London premiere, Depp told Extra that Alastair Sim’s 1951 ‘Scrooge’ is the definitive version, but he wanted to find a different way into the character. He had struck a similar note at CinemaCon, admitting that the prospect of following Sim initially intimidated him.

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Paramount’s synopsis follows Scrooge through a supernatural Christmas Eve encounter with his past, present and future that will decide his ultimate fate. The studio has pitched it as a familiar name attached to a story audiences don’t already know.

Full reviews arrive when the embargo reportedly lifts at noon on November 12, a day before ‘Ebenezer’ opens in theaters. Until then, the early buzz points to a film people will debate, even if its star is winning the argument.

Do you think Johnny Depp's Scrooge in 'Ebenezer' deserves a place among the greatest 'A Christmas Carol' adaptations?

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