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Johnny Depp and Rupert Grint Brave a Snow-Dusted Red Carpet as ‘Ebenezer’ Haunts London

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Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer‘ is a dark new take on Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella ‘A Christmas Carol’. Paramount is selling it as a thrilling ghost story, with Depp as the deliciously unpleasant Scrooge. The film is directed by horror filmmaker Ti West from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern.

It also marks a moment of consequence for its star. Industry coverage has framed the film as Depp’s return to a major studio release, and the cast around him is full of familiar names. Rupert Grint, best known as Ron Weasley in the ‘Harry Potter’ films, plays Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s long-suffering clerk.

Monday night, that cast came together in central London. Depp and Grint posed side by side at the ‘Ebenezer’ premiere held at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, in front of a backdrop dressed in Christmas greenery and snow-dusted fir trees. Grint wore an all-black suit and tie, while Depp wore a wide-brimmed hat, red-tinted glasses and a dark jacket over a blue shirt.

The London event follows a very deliberate rollout. According to IndieWire’s analysis, Paramount is carefully reintroducing the star after studios turned him away 8 years ago. The film was first shown in New York at a special screening on Sunday in the Whitby Hotel’s 147-seat screening room, an intimate venue for the unveiling of a studio feature.

IndieWire also notes that ‘Ebenezer’ was one of the first films boarded by Paramount after its 2025 acquisition by Skydance. The piece argues that the film doesn’t need to be a blockbuster to count as a success. That framing helps explain a cautious approach, with small-scale screenings and a premiere in London ahead of the wide release.

The ensemble is a draw in its own right. Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s dead business partner. Andrea Riseborough is the Ghost of Christmas Past, and Tramell Tillman, best known for ‘Severance’, plays the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Sam Claflin plays Scrooge’s nephew Fred, and Daisy Ridley appears as Emily Cratchit, Bob’s wife. Arthur Conti plays a young Ebenezer, while Ellie Bamber appears as Isabel Fezziwig. Charlie Murphy and Henry Lloyd-Hughes round out the billed cast.

For Grint, the role continues a steady run of work beyond the wizarding world. Casting reports described Cratchit as poor, overworked and too kind for his own good. That gentle underdog quality is a natural fit for the actor who spent a decade as Harry’s loyal best friend.

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Production began in early 2026 across London and Dublin. Chatham’s Historic Dockyard was also used as a location. The result runs 1 hour and 55 minutes and carries a 12A rating in the UK.

Paramount has been building momentum for months. Depp unveiled the first footage in person at CinemaCon in April. He later surprised San Diego Comic-Con by roaming the streets in character as Scrooge and appearing at a Paramount panel and at a pop-up store designed to look like Scrooge’s office.

Those stunts fit a film that leans into spectacle. The trailers promise a gothic, supernatural take on a story audiences think they know, and the tagline makes the pitch plain: the name you know, the story you don’t. Critics and fans will soon get to judge how far it strays from tradition.

‘Ebenezer’ arrives in theaters Nov. 13 from Paramount Pictures, 4 days after the London event. London listings show the film playing at 29 cinemas on opening weekend, including several screens in Leicester Square.

The release comes at the start of the Christmas movie season, which is a competitive moment for a ghost story with a famously dark edge. Depp’s presence will draw curiosity from some viewers and skepticism from others. Even so, the premiere images show a cast in good spirits, with Depp and Grint clearly happy to stand together under the fake snow.

Whether audiences embrace a Scrooge played by Depp will be the real test. A strong supporting cast, a respected genre director and a famously durable story give the film a solid foundation. The box office and the reviews will decide the rest.

What interests you most about Johnny Depp’s upcoming film Ebenezer?

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