• Surprise Comic-Con Stunt: Johnny Depp shocked fans at San Diego Comic-Con by interrupting an unrelated panel completely in character as Ebenezer Scrooge, handing out candy to the stunned audience.
• Dramatic Transformation: Wearing heavy facial prosthetics, weathered makeup, and long gray hair, Depp makes a high-profile return to major studio cinema in Paramount Pictures’ Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.
• Horror Reimagining: Directed by Ti West, the film strips away traditional holiday cheer to focus on the dark, psychological ghost story at the heart of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella.
• Stacked Cast: The film stars Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, alongside Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, Sam Claflin and Daisy Ridley.
• November Release: The film arrives exclusively in theaters nationwide on November 13, 2026.

Look! It’s Willy Wonka…I mean Ebenezer Scrooge. In case you missed it, Johnny Depp delivered one of the biggest surprises of San Diego Comic-Con, crashing an unrelated convention panel while fully transformed into Ebenezer Scrooge.

Stepping out in heavy facial prosthetics, weathered makeup, and long gray hair, Depp stayed entirely in character to address the crowd with classic Scrooge disdain: “Have you all no lives? No responsibility? Why are you here?” Before leaving the stage, he handed out candy to attendees and offered a sly nod to his return to the big screen: “It’s good to be back.”

The surprise appearance sets the stage for the official trailer drop for Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, marking Depp’s major studio comeback.

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Ti West Brings Stylized Horror to Charles Dickens’ Classic

Paramount Pictures and director Ti West are taking a distinctly eerie approach to Charles Dickens’ legendary 1843 novella. Known for horror hits like X and Pearl, West is leaning directly into the story’s dark ghost story roots, framing Victorian London as a bleak, unsettling environment plagued by terrifying apparitions. Scripted by Nathaniel Halpern, the film treats the classic Christmas spirits not as festive guides, but as intricate and frightening entity figures.

An All-Star Ensemble Cast

Joining Depp in the dark adaptation is a massive ensemble lineup:

• Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley
• Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit
• Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, and Robert Strange as the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future
• Sam Claflin and Daisy Ridley in featured roles

Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol is set to open exclusively in theaters on November 13, 2026, via Paramount Pictures.

Featured: Paramount Pictures

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