The official trailer for Ebenezer has arrived, marking a high-profile return for Johnny Depp and a fresh, darker spin on one of literature’s most adapted stories. Directed by Ti West and released by Paramount Pictures, the film stars Depp as the infamous miser Ebenezer Scrooge. It arrives in theatres on 13 November 2026 with the bold tagline: “The name you know, the story you don’t.”
Ebenezer (2026) | Johnny Depp | Ian McKellen | Rupert Grint
A Classic Story Reframed as a Thrilling Ghost Tale
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has been told countless times on stage and screen. Ebenezer positions itself as a gothic, atmospheric reimagining set in Dickensian London. The focus remains on one man’s supernatural confrontation with his past, present, and future as he fights for a second chance. The trailer leans into dread and intensity rather than pure sentiment, aligning with West’s established style from films such as X, Pearl, and MaXXXine.
Depp’s Scrooge appears cantankerous, isolated, and steeped in bitterness. Classic “Bah! Humbug!” moments surface alongside more unsettling imagery, including spectral visitations and a sense of mounting psychological pressure. The film promises a journey that is less cozy holiday fare and more a haunting examination of regret, isolation, and the possibility of redemption.
A Star-Studded Ensemble
The cast surrounding Depp is notably strong, mixing established names with performers who bring distinctive energy to familiar roles:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Johnny Depp | Ebenezer Scrooge |
| Rupert Grint | Bob Cratchit |
| Ian McKellen | Jacob Marley |
| Andrea Riseborough | Ghost of Christmas Past |
| Tramell Tillman | Ghost of Christmas Present |
| Daisy Ridley | Connected to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come / Fred’s circle |
| Sam Claflin | Fred (Scrooge’s nephew) |
| Arthur Conti | Young Ebenezer |
| Ellie Bamber | Isabel Fezziwig |
| Charlie Murphy, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and others | Supporting roles |
Rupert Grint’s casting as the long-suffering Bob Cratchit has already drawn positive attention, while Ian McKellen as the chained Jacob Marley feels like inspired pairing of veteran presence with spectral menace. The ghosts and supporting characters are populated by actors capable of shifting between grounded emotion and the uncanny.
Why This Adaptation Stands Out
Ti West has built a reputation for atmospheric horror and character-driven tension. Applying that sensibility to A Christmas Carol suggests a version that prioritises mood, dread, and psychological weight over broad comedy or pure nostalgia. The screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern frames Scrooge’s night as a genuine supernatural ordeal rather than a gentle moral lesson.
Depp’s return to a major studio lead role after several years away adds significant cultural weight to the project. Early reactions to the trailer reflect both excitement at seeing him back on screen in a transformative part and curiosity about how the classic material will be reshaped. The “story you don’t” claim acknowledges the familiarity of the source while promising a distinctive point of view—something many previous adaptations have also attempted, but few have delivered with this level of star power and directorial voice.
Production values visible in the trailer point to a carefully crafted period world: fog-shrouded streets, shadowed interiors, and a visual language that leans into the gothic. The film aims to feel both faithful to the emotional core of Dickens’ tale and newly unsettling for contemporary audiences.
November 13 in Theatres
Ebenezer is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on 13 November 2026, positioning it as a key holiday-season title that arrives just before the traditional Christmas rush. Paramount is treating the project as a significant event, leveraging Depp’s star power and West’s growing profile.
For audiences who return to A Christmas Carol every year, the film offers another interpretation of a beloved story. For those drawn by Depp’s performance history or West’s previous work, it represents a rare meeting of mainstream holiday material and a more unsettling cinematic sensibility. The trailer successfully establishes atmosphere, casting strength, and a clear sense that this version intends to unsettle as much as it moves.
Johnny Depp steps back into a major leading role as one of literature’s most enduring misers. Surrounding him is a cast capable of elevating both the human and supernatural elements of the tale. Directed by Ti West, Ebenezer arrives with the promise of a darker, more intense journey through the ghosts of Christmas. On 13 November 2026, audiences will discover whether this new vision of Scrooge can make an old story feel newly haunting once again.
