Quick summary
- Johnny Depp stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ebenezer, directed by Ti West, which opens in the US and UK on 13 November.
- Boxoffice Pro and its panel forecast an opening of around $40 million worldwide, about half from North America.
- It is Depp’s first major studio film since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018.
- Depp told The Independent he “owes” his fans for the welcome at the London premiere on 9 November.
- Early reactions are mostly positive but measured, according to Toy People.
Ebenezer, Paramount’s gothic take on A Christmas Carol, opens this week with Depp in the lead. It is his first major studio role in eight years, and industry forecasters are treating the weekend as a test of how many people will buy a ticket. The projected worldwide opening is about $40 million.
What the box office forecast says
Boxoffice Pro describes the film as the start of the family holiday season, arriving two weeks before Thanksgiving. Its panel, along with other handicappers, has the film opening to around $40 million globally. About half of that is expected from more than 3,500 North American locations.
The magazine calls expectations “moderate” across the board. It reports that Depp took a salary cut and that the film’s marketing budget is higher than its production budget, citing Variety. That, it says, makes the release a safer bet for the studio.
For context, it points to earlier screen versions of the story. Bill Murray in Scrooged took $60.3 million, Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol took $27.38 million, and the 2009 Jim Carrey version reached $137.85 million. Boxoffice Pro says West’s film owes more to the gothic tone of the 1951 Scrooge with Alastair Sim. It adds that early influencer reactions compare it to a horror film, and that it looks like something Tim Burton might have made fifteen years ago.
Budget and Depp’s reported pay
UA.NEWS reports that Paramount spent $38 million making the film, not counting advertising, and that Depp was paid a “modest” $5 million plus a share of box office receipts. The outlet says that is far below his peak earnings. Boxoffice Pro describes the pay cut only as reported, and the figures come from the outlets themselves rather than from Paramount. News.com.au also ran a story on the pay cut, but its page could not be read for this article.
If both figures are right, the film would need to clear its costs over a long run rather than in one weekend. That is a general point about releases of this size, not a forecast from any of the outlets.
Depp at the London premiere
Depp appeared at the London premiere on Monday 9 November. According to NME, he told The Independent there was “no way” to explain what being back in the spotlight meant, and that his fans were “my bosses”.
NME notes that his career stalled after he was dropped from the Fantastic Beasts series. It also records that a jury in 2022 found in his favour in his defamation case against Amber Heard and awarded him $10 million in compensatory and $5 million in punitive damages. The cast around him includes Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint and Daisy Ridley.
Early reactions and the Pirates question
Toy People reports that critics and media at advance screenings have been largely positive without calling the film a knockout, and that outright negative takes have been scarce. The screenplay is by Nathaniel Halpern, and the cast also includes Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Charlie Murphy, Tramell Tillman and Arthur Conti.
NME adds that Depp has teased a possible return to Pirates of the Caribbean. He told Entertainment Weekly he only wants to “send them off on a better note”, and said he would work with producer Jerry Bruckheimer on anything. Boxoffice Pro suggests a hit could reignite the franchise with Depp on board. No studio has confirmed a new Pirates film in the sources reviewed here.
For more on the comeback, see our earlier reports on Depp’s return as Scrooge and the early praise and $5M salary. More film coverage is in our Movies section.
What happens next
The first real numbers arrive after the opening weekend of 13 to 15 November. Boxoffice Pro will also be watching how the film holds in its second weekend and how it fares against family titles such as The Cat in the Hat. Any word on Pirates would have to come from Disney. I could not find an Australian release date in the sources, so check local cinema listings.
Frequently asked questions
When is Ebenezer released?
According to NME and Toy People, it opens in UK and US cinemas on 13 November 2026. UA.NEWS says Ukrainian cinemas get it a day earlier.
How much is Ebenezer expected to make?
Boxoffice Pro and its panel expect an opening of around $40 million worldwide, with roughly half from North America.
Is this Johnny Depp’s first film in eight years?
It is his first major studio film since 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, according to Boxoffice Pro and NME.
Who directed Ebenezer?
Ti West, known for the horror films X and Pearl, directed it from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern.
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