‘Ebenezer’ Test Screening Scores Suggest Johnny Depp’s Hollywood Comeback Is Actually Working

Hollywood comebacks are notoriously hard to predict, and few actors have carried as much baggage into a potential return as Johnny Depp. Years removed from his highly publicized legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, the actor has spent much of his time since working on smaller international projects, leaving his path back to major studio filmmaking uncertain at best.

That uncertainty appeared to lift considerably following an early test screening for his upcoming film “Ebenezer,” a Ti West-directed reimagining of “A Christmas Carol” that gives audiences an origin story for Charles Dickens’ iconic miser. According to Puck, the screening took place on August 11 in Paramus, New Jersey, with Paramount studio heads Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg reportedly leaving the theater elated by audience reactions.

The numbers behind that reaction have now made their way into industry coverage, and they’re notably strong. “Ebenezer” scored an 80 out of 100 in its test screening, well above the typical historical norm of 72 for test screenings across the industry, meaning roughly four-fifths of the audience rated the film as either excellent or very good.

Depp’s own individual performance score outpaced the film’s overall rating by a wide margin. According to World of Reel, the actor earned a personal score of 86, a figure described as very high for any actor, especially when measured against the standard lead character norm of 67. That kind of gap between an actor’s individual score and industry averages typically signals genuine audience enthusiasm rather than just a well-received film overall.

What makes those numbers particularly notable is how little test audiences appear to be factoring in Depp’s controversial personal history. According to The A.V. Club’s coverage of the same Puck report, audiences testing “Ebenezer” don’t seem concerned with the details that emerged from his legal battle with Heard, despite a UK judge ruling in 2020 that Heard’s description of Depp as a “wife beater” was “substantially true,” a finding that contrasted with the outcome of his separate US defamation trial.

That disconnect between Depp’s public reputation and how test audiences are responding lines up with other industry signals pointing toward renewed interest in the actor. World of Reel reported that Depp’s Q Score, an industry metric measuring public familiarity and appeal, has climbed to 27, up from 24 in 2023, suggesting his overall marketability has been trending upward even before “Ebenezer’s” test results came in.

Paramount’s willingness to bet on Depp for this project stands out given how reluctant other major studios have reportedly been to work with him following the controversy. The studio’s confidence appears to be paying off early, especially given the film’s modest $40 million budget, a number that gives “Ebenezer” a relatively low bar to clear at the box office in order to be considered a success.

Beyond “Ebenezer” itself, these test numbers have reportedly fueled renewed conversation about Depp’s broader career trajectory. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has already been discussing the possibility of bringing Depp back for a sixth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, while longtime collaborator Tim Burton has previously signaled openness to working with the actor again as well.

Directed by Ti West and written by Nathaniel Halpern, “Ebenezer” also stars Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Sam Claflin, and Andrea Riseborough, among others. The film is set to hit theaters on November 13, giving Paramount a Thanksgiving-season release window to capitalize on whatever momentum these early test numbers continue to build heading into the film’s actual theatrical run.

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