Johnny Depp is reported to be making a major return on Hollywood screen with the upcoming movie Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, after the breakthrough of 8-9 years. Depp’s career took a long standby from major Hollywood films mainly due to controversies and public legal battles with ex- wife Amber Heard.
In 2018, Depp’s ex-wife wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post, implying herself as a victim of domestic abuse which led to a major backlash against Depp. The defamation lawsuit trial against Heard became the most famous, publicized celebrity court case in history.
Depp had to resign from Warner Bros. Fantastic Beast 3 where he was playing the role of Grindelwald. Disney had also cut him out from his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow around 2020 because he lost a libel case against The Sun Newspaper, which had called him a “wife beater”.
While he was away from the major Hollywood projects, he started working on smaller, independent European films. In 2023, he made a quiet return by playing the role of King Louis XV in a French movie “Jeanne du Barry”.
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Finally in 2022, Depp won the defamation lawsuit against Heard after which the public and the large part of the industry shifted in his favour, leading to a smooth comeback in a major studio after nearly a decade. This emotional homecoming of the once ‘Global icon’ will truly be a heartfelt moment for his fans.
His upcoming movie ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carole’ is a thrilling ghost story, an adaptation by Charles Dickens. Depp is set to play the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge, a businessman’s supernatural journey in his past, present and future, fighting for a second chance.
The movie is being produced under Emma Watts, a former head of Paramount’s film division and is directed by Ti West, known best for his horror movies: X, Pearl, and MaXXXine. ‘Ebenzer’ is expected to be darker with a gothic or spooky twist, than the other family oriented versions. The Oscar-nominated actress Andrea Riseborough is also rumoured to be a part of the upcoming movie.
As the movie is being said to release in late 2026 (around November) more details other than major leads as budget or the supporting cast and the location has not been fully disclosed yet. But we may expect more updates like trailers, posters, and an official cast list in the coming months.
Written by: Supriya