Scrooge Breaks Venmo: ‘Ebenezer’ Promo Crashes Under Fans’ Money Requests, and Everyone Gets Paid a Penny

Movie marketing has become a contest to see who can make the most internet-friendly stunt. Studios now build fake apps, fake accounts and fake storefronts, all in the hope that something goes viral before the trailer is forgotten. Every so often, one of those ideas matches its source material perfectly.

Paramount may have found one with its campaign for ‘Ebenezer,’ Ti West’s horror-tinged take on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol.’ The film stars Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, a character whose defining trait is refusing to hand over money. That made him an oddly ideal candidate for a payment app.

The ‘Ebenezer’ Venmo account crashed after being overwhelmed by requests, according to reports on the promotion. Paramount announced on October 22 that Scrooge had opened an account under the handle @EBENEZERmovie and invited fans to send a request. The traffic was so heavy that it reportedly caused a jam in the system, and people who requested money received a single cent.

The ‘EBENEZER’ account on Venmo crashed down yesterday due to overwhelming requests. People who requested money from the account received $0.01 https://t.co/KqV30wV1mH

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 23, 2026

The premise is simple. A fan sends a payment request, and the account responds with one cent and a note, including a reply that reads ‘Here’s a penny. Earn the rest.’ In one widely shared example, a request for $500 labeled ‘student loans’ was answered with a penny and a message that generosity has its limits.

The joke fits the character perfectly. Scrooge’s whole identity is built on tight-fisted behavior, and the idea of the miser responding to charity requests with the smallest possible sum is exactly in line with the story. It also takes about 4 seconds to try, which is a big part of why it spread.

Reports say requests poured in from users asking for help with everything from student loans to Christmas shopping. Variety reported that the volume jammed the system, and 2 of its staffers received transaction errors when they tried to use the account. A marketing stunt that falls over because too many people used it is generally a better outcome than one that runs smoothly and reaches nobody.

The hiccups didn’t stop the momentum. The campaign video showed a request for varying amounts receiving a penny, and the stunt was reposted by Paramount’s own account. It’s the kind of everyday interaction that can introduce a movie to audiences who haven’t watched a trailer.

The stranger part of the story is the inbound traffic. Because the account can receive money as well as send it, some users have started sending payments in whatever amount they find funny, and the transactions appear on the account’s public feed. Some say they want to boost his Christmas spirit.

That raises a practical question the promotion hasn’t answered: where does the money go? One outlet pointed out that a penny from Scrooge is an easily understood joke, but real payments to the account leave an open question about what happens next.

Think you know his story? Think again. Johnny Depp is Ebenezer Scrooge. The spirits arrive in the official new trailer for EBENEZER – only in theatres November 13. https://t.co/cb6p9JBq9C

— Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie) October 1, 2026

Behind the joke is a film that’s far from a comedy. ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’ is a gothic retelling directed by Ti West, whose previous films include ‘X,’ ‘Pearl’ and ‘MaXXXine,’ from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern. It’s set to open exclusively in theaters on November 13, with a tagline that reads, ‘The name you know. The story you don’t.’

The first trailer, which debuted at San Diego Comic-Con in July, leaned heavily into horror. It features the spectral figure of the Ghost of Christmas Past, played by Andrea Riseborough, and a homage to Depp’s first movie role in ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street.’ Depp himself appeared at the convention in full Scrooge costume.

The supporting cast includes Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit and ‘Severance’ breakout Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Daisy Ridley, Sam Claflin, Charlie Murphy, Nicholas Day, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and Arthur Conti, who plays the young Ebenezer, round out the ensemble.

The movie also marks Depp’s return to a big studio lead. ‘Ebenezer’ is his first wide release since 2018’s ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,’ which is why Paramount is putting so much marketing energy into it.

The Venmo campaign works because it gives audiences a reason to interact with the character before buying a ticket. It’s cheap for the studio, easy for fans and tied directly to the story. The risk is that a gag about a penny can’t communicate that the movie is meant to be scary.

Even so, a viral joke can be a strong opening act. If the stunt keeps growing, it may remind audiences that a new Scrooge is coming this Christmas season.

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