The versatile Johnny Depp, hailing from the Caribbean as a pirate is back and this time, he’s broughtbtheghosts with him. He is all set to star as Ebenezer Scrooge in the horror movie Ebenezer. The two-minute teaser promises a Dickens classic like you’ve never seen it and here’s everything we know about it.
The Ebenezer trailer didn’t arrive quietly. Hours before the panel, Depp appeared outside a shop called “Scrooge and Marley” in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, already in full Scrooge costume: top hat, frock coat, walking cane, the works.
Then he crashed Hall H at Comic-Con, walking onstage mid-panel to a deafening roar. Depp was mumbling in character and saying “I’m speaking into the candle” before handing it to another director.
Fans flooded social media within seconds, with clips of the reveal racking up several views before the panel even ended. It was the kind of Hollywood moment that reminds you why Comic-Con still matters.
A Nod To The Past
This will be special for all the Depp fans as the trailer opens with a montage of his iconic roles.
Before we see Scrooge’s horrifying world, the trailer flashes through Depp’s greatest hits: Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, Willy Wonka. It’s an unmistakable message, this is a homecoming.
The montage ends on a single title card, “Johnny Depp is Ebenezer Scrooge” before plunging into a foggy, gaslit London. The implication is clear: Depp is reclaiming his place as one of cinema’s most magnetic stars. It’s a smart move from Paramount, acknowledge the past, then move boldly into the new.
Ti West’s Horror Touch
This is Ti West doing a Christmas ghost story, and the trailer leans hard into the horror part. The spirits aren’t gentle guides, they’re terrifying.
One shot shows Scrooge backed against a wall as a towering, skeletal figure reaches for him. Another shows him screaming in a snow-covered graveyard. The tagline, “The name you know. The story you don’t” promises something darker than any adaptation before it.
Early comparisons are already drawing lines to The Witch and The Others, suggesting this could be the rare holiday film that genuinely unsettles its audience.
A Stellar Supporting Cast
The fun doesn’t just end with Depp.
The trailer gives quick glimpses of the ensemble. Ian McKellen appears in shadow as Marley’s Ghost. Daisy Ridley, Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, and Andrea Riseborough all feature though their roles remain unclear.
Tramell Tillman (Severance) and Charlie Murphy, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, and Henry Lloyd-Hughes round out the cast.
The trailer suggests each actor gets a distinct moment with Scrooge, hinting at a structure that moves through the classic visits but with fresh twists.
A Supernatural Fight for Redemption
Set in a frigid, beautifully shot Dickensian London, the trailer follows Scrooge through his supernatural journey.
The synopsis confirms: “One man’s supernatural journey to face his past, present and future and fight for a second chance.” But the word “fight” feels deliberate; this Scrooge isn’t just shown the error of his ways. He has to survive them.
The trailer ends with Scrooge alone in a snowy street, whispering “I’m sorry” to no one, before a final jump scare that has the audience gasping.
It’s a bold reinterpretation that reframes the original story as a psychological horror thriller rather than a moral lesson, I mean we have life to teach us that.
November 13 Can’t Come Soon Enough
Yes, that’s still three months far.
The trailer ends with the release date: November 13, 2026, exclusively in theaters. Paramount is betting big on a theatrical-only window, and the Comic-Con buzz suggests it’s paying off.
Early reactions from Hall H are overwhelmingly positive, with many calling it Depp’s most compelling role in years, and I agree.
With a November release, it’s perfectly positioned for the holiday season while avoiding the December logjam of Dune: Part 3 and Avengers Doomsday.
Expect the marketing machine to go into overdrive through the fall, with more trailers, character posters, and likely a TIFF or Halloween screening before the wide release.
The question the trailer leaves you with isn’t whether Scrooge will change, considering his redemption arc, but whether he’ll make it out alive, after all that he’ll go through, that’s yet to be disclosed.
If the trailer is any measure, West is treating Scrooge’s redemption not as a warm fable but as an exorcism.
