Johnny Depp returns to Hollywood to play… Scrooge!

For director Ti West, more of a specialist in horror films.

Johnny Depp is preparing to make his comeback in a Hollywood blockbuster.

Waiting Pirates of the Caribbean 6he will be the leading role ofEbenezer: A Christmas Carolnew adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic produced by Paramount Pictures.

The film will be directed by Ti West, master of horror cinema behind Pearl And MaXXXineon a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern (Tales From the Loop, Legion). With him in the cast, Andrea Riseborough (recently seen in the series The Diet) will give him the answer, while Emma Watts will produce.

Depp will therefore play Ebenezer Scrooge, a rich misanthropic businessman from 19th century London, haunted by the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future, who come to confront him with his own darkness in an attempt to save his soul. The character, a pillar of popular culture, has already been immortalized a thousand times in cinema by Alastair Sim (1951), Bill Murray (Scrooged1988), Michael Caine (The Muppet Christmas Carol1992), Jim Carrey (2009) or more recently Will Ferrell (in Spirited2022).

This project marks the official comeback of Johnny Depp within a major studio, a first since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). The actor was ousted from the saga after losing his libel case against the British tabloid The Sun. Since then, he has refocused on independent films like Minamata Or Jeanne du Barry. He recently filmed the thriller Day Drinker for Lionsgate, alongside Penélope Cruz, scheduled for 2026, and is also preparing Modìhis first feature film as director since 1997, dedicated to the painter Amedeo Modigliani, with Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham and Al Pacino (American release set for November 7, 2025).

If the contract is concluded, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol should be released on November 13, 2026. Paramount hopes to offer Depp a Hollywood renaissance by focusing on an iconic role.

Note that another competing Scrooge project is currently in development at Warner Bros. : director Robert Eggers (Nosferatu) is also preparing his own version of the tale, with Willem Dafoe expected to play Scrooge.