Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for “Ebenezer,” starring Johnny Depp in his first major Hollywood role since his 2022 trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
Directed by Ti West, the holiday film is described as a dark reimagining of the Charles Dickens’ classic, with Depp playing the infamous Christmas grouch Ebenezer Scrooge.
The trailer shows Depp as Scrooge tormented by the terrifying spirits of Christmas, haunting him throughout the Christmas season. In the select moments he’s not confronted with the harsh truths of his past, the ill-tempered man is seen spreading his hate throughout the snow-covered streets, throwing snowballs at the heads of passerby.
“It’s good to be back,” Depp says as Scrooge at the end of the trailer.
“Ebenezer” marks Depp’s first major Hollywood film since he underwent a lengthy and publicized legal battle against Heard. Heard and Depp had both accused each other of domestic abuse during their relationship, and the jury later found them both guilty of defamation. Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard, while Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.
Depp was cut from his role as the villain Grindelwald in the third “Harry Potter” spinoff film “Fantastic Beats: The Secrets of Dumbledore” and replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in 2018. Since then, Depp has appeared in international films like “Minamata” and “Jeanne du Barry,” and he directed the indie title “Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness. Now, his career has begun to bounce back with “Ebenezer” and his casting in Lionsgate’s upcoming action-thriller “Day Drinker,” alongside Madelyn Cline and Penélope Cruz.
The “Ebenezer” cast also includes Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint and Daisy Ridley. West, who is best known for his work on horror films like ” Pearl” and “MaXXXine,” told the crowd at a CinemaCon unveiling of the trailer that his exposure to certain “A Christmas Carol” adaptations were some of his earliest glimpses of the horror genre. “Ebenezer” is in theaters on Nov. 13.
Watch the trailer below.
