Johnny Depp returns to Hollywood with $5m role in ‘Ebenezer’

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Johnny Depp is preparing for a major Hollywood comeback with “Ebenezer”, a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, in which he plays the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.…

Johnny Depp is preparing for a major Hollywood comeback with “Ebenezer”, a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, in which he plays the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. The film marks his first major studio role in nearly eight years, with the actor reportedly earning $5 million for the project.

Directed by Ti West, known for his “X” horror trilogy, the film is scheduled to open on November 13. According to industry projections, it is expected to earn around $20 million domestically during its opening weekend, with a similar amount anticipated from 63 international markets.

Despite the controversy surrounding Depp’s personal life and career in recent years, cinema owners appear cautiously optimistic about the film’s prospects. Mark O’Meara, who operates University Mall and Cinema Arts Theatres in Fairfax, Virginia, said audience reactions to Depp have been varied but not particularly polarised.

“Some people can’t wait. They love Johnny Depp. And others are just like, ‘Meh,’” he said, adding that he did not believe the actor remained a divisive figure among moviegoers.

Paramount reportedly spent around $38 million on production, with marketing expenses estimated at $50 million. Depp’s $5 million salary is considerably lower than his previous studio paydays, although the deal reportedly includes performance-based bonuses. The studio has not publicly confirmed the budget figures.

Depp’s last major Hollywood release was 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”. He left the franchise in 2020 after losing a libel case against British tabloid The Sun, which had described him as a “wife beater”. He later won a high-profile defamation case against his former wife Amber Heard in the United States.

While major Hollywood projects remained limited, Depp continued working in independent and international cinema, appearing in “Minamata” (2020) and “Jeanne du Barry” (2023). He also directed the 2024 biographical drama “Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness”.

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