Actor Johnny Depp unveiled his grizzled take on Ebenezer Scrooge at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, debuting the first trailer for a horror-tinged retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, arriving in cinemas November 13.
TL;DR
- Depp appeared in full Scrooge costume before debuting the footage at Comic-Con's Hall H panel.
- Director Ti West steers this darker spin on Dickens' 1843 novella for Paramount Pictures.
- Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol opens in cinemas November 13.
- British and Irish stars Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley and Charlie Murphy round out the cast.
Inside the first trailer
Director Ti West, known for the horror trilogy X, Pearl and MaXXXine, steers this reimagining of Scrooge's redemption story. According to Variety, the footage follows Depp's Scrooge as three ghosts confront him with his past, present and future.
The trailer closes with Scrooge muttering, "It's good to be back," Depp says as the character, according to Variety.
Depp, in full prosthetic makeup, also crashed a Comic-Con panel on Thursday to premiere the footage in person. In character, he asked the crowd, "Have you no lives? No responsibilities?" according to Deadline.
Paramount's marketing leans into mystery: the studio's tagline promises, "The name you know. The story you don't," according to Dark Horizons.
A comeback role for Depp
The film marks Depp's first major studio lead since 2018, when he was replaced as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. It also follows his high-profile defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, which concluded in his favor in 2022.
At a CinemaCon preview of the footage, Depp called the role "an extraordinary privilege to step into a story I have been obsessed with," according to Deadline.
The film is being released by Paramount Pictures, which is currently facing a UK regulatory probe over its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
British talent anchors the cast
Production for Ebenezer filmed in London and Dublin, according to Screen Daily. Additional scenes were shot at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, according to IMDb.
The supporting cast leans heavily British and Irish. It is led by Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, alongside Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Andrea Riseborough, Daisy Ridley and Sam Claflin.
Irish actor Charlie Murphy, familiar to UK audiences from Peaky Blinders, also joins the ensemble as one of the Fezziwigs.
Quick facts: Ebenezer at a glance
| Detail | Value |
| Release date | November 13, 2026<br>Source: Screen Daily |
| Director | Ti West<br>Source: Deadline |
| Distributor | Paramount Pictures<br>Source: Deadline |
| UK filming locations | London, Dublin and Chatham, Kent<br>Source: IMDb |
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed July 24, 2026.
