Johnny Depp is set to return to the big screen in a major studio role, taking on the iconic part of Ebenezer Scrooge in a new film adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Paramount Pictures is finalizing its involvement in the project, titled Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, which will be directed by Ti West, known for his recent trio of horror films starring Mia Goth, Entertainment Weekly reports. The screenplay is being written by Nathaniel Halpern, creator of Amazon's Tales from the Loop. Andrea Riseborough has also signed on to co-star, though details about her role remain under wraps.
In previous versions of Charles Dickens' classic, key female roles have included Scrooge's former fiancée Belle and Mrs. Cratchit, but there's also speculation that Riseborough could take on one or more of the story's famous ghosts. Unlike some adaptations, this one isn't changing the setting. The studio describes it as "a thrilling ghost story set in Dickens' London, following one man's supernatural journey to face his past, present, and future and fight for a second chance."
This marks Depp's first major American studio project since his highly publicized legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, which concluded in 2022 with a jury finding Heard liable for defamation. Depp has since worked on a handful of international and independent films, including French-language Jeanne du Barry and and a directorial turn with Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, set for release next month. Another project, Lionsgate's Day Drinker, co-starring Penelope Cruz, recently wrapped production, Deadline reports.
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Paramount plans to release Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol on Nov. 26 next year. Deadline notes that it may have competition from another adaptation from another horror director. Warner Bros. plans to produce a version directed by Nosferatu director Robert Eggers. Sources told Deadline earlier this year that Willem Dafoe, a regular Eggers collaborator, is expected to star.
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